Project Life | May 28th to June 17th

Whoo hoo, a 3 week update! I got these photos printed at Costco this time, because I felt like I was behind and it was just faster to send it all to Costco than to individually print them myself at home. That was awesome because within a couple of hours, I had three weeks of photos in my photo protectors. Yay!

Week of May 28th to June 3rd

Look, it's my toes! Now you know how I usually take photos of my album, LOL. This week I didn't do anything different to my Project Life album, I just used the journaling cards that came with my Amber Edition.  I think that's the beauty of this system... there's no pressure to do anything other than just photos + journaling.  The journaling cards are attractive enough that it still looks put together without a lot of extra embellishments.

This was the week I learned to sew from Dejah and used my sewing machine that I had bought but hadn't used because I felt intimidated.  Funny how just knowing how to thread it gave me confidence!  I've been making 4x6 photo collages of food in Photoshop, because otherwise my whole album would be filled with food photos.  The little "makes me happy" sticky label pointing to Noodle is a SMASH product by K and Co.  I also used a green paper clip from the office store to keep the photo in place because it's a little longer than the slot.


Sally came over to make cards and it was fun to share my craft space with a friend!  It was Memorial Day and Todd and I made a special breakfast of ebelskivers.  Dinner was the most awesome Jamaican Jerk burger!

Week of June 4th to June 10th

I didn't use any other supplies other than what came in the Project Life kit again. 


This week I finished my first sewing project, a purse.  We decided to run down by the harbor and it was glorious and beautiful, plus we got to eat at Point Loma Seafoods afterwards. 

The one thing that I did for the first time in my Project Life album is I cut 4x6 photos in half and put them into the middle 4x3 slots.  I did it out of necessity because I didn't map out where I was going to put the photos before I got them printed at Costco, and I didn't have enough slots.  I think they actually turned out okay!

Todd made some incredible chocolate chocolate chip cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, which we took to Dejah and Roby's house for dinner and Sunday night "Game of Thrones" viewing.  We went to Anthology again to see "Fourplay", this time with Sally coming along as well. 

Week of June 11th to June 17th

This week I had extra photos so I included an extra 8.5x11 photo insert that holds 4 photos + some small notes.  I've had these sitting around for a long time before Project Life, so I just use them.  I like to use up stuff I already have.  Also this week I used some additional items for journaling.


We went running at the beach and ate at Beach City Cafe afterwards.  We got invited to dinner at Randy and Rena's new house.  I also included a couple of Instax instant photos in the vertical slots.  The left journaling was on a Becky Higgins Project Life 3x4 grid journaling card.  I just stuck a strip of blue washi tape on top and wrote the date on it with my favorite white pen, the Uniball Signo Broad.  The right journaling card is a digital product called "Everyday Striped Journaling Tags" by Elle's Studio.  It comes in individual png format and also all together in a printable PDF.  I printed them out and cut them.  They fit perfectly into the 3x4 slots!  :)


Closer look at the "Everyday Striped Journaling Tags" by Elle's Studio.  I love that there's a space on top to date stamp and put a title in!


We went to Ortegas happy hour with Anne and Gilbert. 


My 8.5x11 page protector has little slots on the side, so I typed up some journaling on the computer and cut it up and slipped it into the little slot.




We made Domo Kun cookies and brought them to Monika's birthday BBQ.  I used an old Scenic Route sticker label on the cookie photo.  I used some Echo Park "Springtime" digital journaling tags that I printed out and cut.  They're so cute and fit perfectly into the 3x4 slot again!


I had an extra slot left, so I just took a Project Life 3x4 grid journaling card and stamped the ticket on there, using a stamp set called "Paperwork Greeting" from Inkadinkadoo.

New 52 | Week 26: Craft Studio Organization

Wow, we're halfway done with New 52! This year has really flown by so fast. This week's competition for what would be my New 52 of the week was fierce. It was between getting brand-new tires for my 1999 Honda Prelude (out of necessity), or some new organizational products I bought for my craft studio. Which one is more exciting?! I decided to talk about my craft studio organization! :)

I needed some organization for my scrapbook papers. I don't have a lot, but I wanted to separate them into a few categories, while still have them fit into my IKEA Expedit cubby holes. The IKEA cubby holes measure 13.25" x 13.25" and are 15.25" deep. I bought two sets of 3 Frosted Plastic Paper Holders from Oriental Trading, because the price was right. They're similar to Cropper Hopper ones but cheaper. The product description at their site says they are 13.25" x 13.25", so I thought "perfect, they'll fit then". They came on Monday and I opened them and assembled the boxes, and um, they didn't fit. The top was about 1/4 inch too tall to fit into the IKEA Expedit cubby holes. I was so disappointed! But Todd came to my rescue. He said he had some super heavy duty scissors in the garage, so I could try to cut 1/4" off the top of each paper holder. They're made of heavy duty plastic, but the scissors just might work. Last night I took the scissors to them and it worked! :)


On the upper shelf I have coordinated kits and mini-book supplies.  On the lower shelf I have colored cardstock, white/kraft/neutral cardstock, old stacks of bulk scrapbook papers, and newer papers that are heavier designer patterned papers.

Of course I had to label the organizers.  I decided to use my McGill Mini File Tab Punch to punch out some tabs out of white cardstock.


Then I just wrote on them with my Sharpie pen and finagled them onto the paper organizers.




I actually do have THREE label makers, but somehow I sort of like these handwritten labels more. I have used my label makers in other areas of the craft studio though. My studio is a mish mash of handwritten and printed labels.

I got these photo boxes for $2 each at Michaels. I use them to store my stamps and inks. I used some small shipping tags with twine to label the boxes.


More labeling!


I like to use existing items and repurpose them for storage too. Like tin cans that stored chocolates or cookies.


This canvas bin is for supplies for my "Handmade Christmas" 2011.

I've decided that this year all my Christmas gifts will be handmade. I've been collecting ideas in my Evernote and putting some supplies into this "Handmade Christmas" bin. I figured I need to start planning so I'm not trying to hand-make everything in December and get totally stressed out!

I got a couple of other items for storage at Oriental Trading. I got a Frosted Ribbon Storage Box with Lid for my ribbons.

I've gotta say I'm not too happy with this. First of all, their site made it look like you get 4 boxes with your order. The description even says "4 pcs". Um, "4 pcs" means the box bottom, the box top, and two dowels! You only get ONE box for $5! SO NOT COOL. I would have never paid $5 for this if I had known it was for ONLY ONE BOX. On top of that, the dowels are just long enough to fit inside the box, not extend past the width of the box. I was hoping the dowels are longer and there were holes on the sides of the box to fit the dowels through. So the dowels are basically useless because when you pull on the ribbons they just go every which way all over the place. I'll probably use my Crop-O-Dile and punch holes and then hacksaw a longer wooden dowel so that it's longer than the box and fits into my new holes. I don't have many ribbons so this will do for now.

The other item I got was some organizers with little compartments for my small stuff like buttons and brads. These actually worked out really well and you DO get THREE boxes for the $7, so that's a good deal.


Another storage solution I got at Michaels is a plastic project bag to hold my current project, a summer mini-book that I'm making for documenting our summer to-do list. I like the size and that it keeps everything I need for the mini-book together. Plus it was only like $1.29.


Of course, all this organization can run amuck if, let's say, your cat gets into your stuff! :p


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About This Project

New52 is a project started by Peppermint and I to encourage each other and others around us to try something new every week in 2011. The "new" each week doesn't have to be something big. It could be something as simple as ordering a new dish instead of old standbys at your favorite restaurant. It's simply opening your heart up to NEW possibilities.

Don't worry if you're late getting started on joining in. It's totally OK if you miss a week here or there. We encourage everyone to keep an open mind about trying something new. This is a life project, and a photography/blog and even scrap challenge if you wish. If you participate this week, please leave a link to your blog post in the link list below. You can also post images to our New 52 Flickr Group! We would love to see what you were inspired to do.  

Soup Club | Exchange #3

As you have heard on this blog before, my husband Todd started a Soup Club with some friends. Well, all women friends. So it's a Soup Club with him and all women friends, LOL.

The soup club had its 3rd exchange on Sunday 6/26. A few days before that, Todd made THREE large pots of hearty minestrone soup.






Since there are five other people in the soup club, Todd had to make over 20 dinner servings of minestrone for exchange! After the soup was made, we froze them.

After Todd went cycling 40 miles on Sunday morning, we grabbed a quick lunch and then headed off to the soup club exchange.


It's awesome. Everyone comes home with five different frozen soups for the next few weeks! Score!

Since Todd rode his bike for 40 hilly miles, he was hungry by 4:30pm. So we headed to Phil's BBQ in San Marcos, which Todd just loves. Even at 5pm, there was a line out the door. Fortunately, Todd vultured and found some bar seating in the bar area. So we both sat on the bar stools, enjoyed our meals, drank Coke, and watched the San Francisco Giants play the Cleveland Indians on the big screen TV behind the bar. Good and yummy times!

Noodle Lately

The other day I caught Noodle just laying around the house. I guess you could probably describe a large part of his day this way, LOL. But he thinks he's the king of the house now. No modesty whatsoever.



The squished head is pretty funny.





Oh and that brown papers in the background?  The BEST FREE toys ever!  A lot of our Amazon packages come with brown paper stuffed in there now.  Noodle LOVES to play in the scrunched up brown papers!  He loves to pounce around in them and hear the rustling noises.  He likes to hide in there sometimes, like his personal igloo.  Who needs to pay for toys when he loves this free brown paper so much, LOL!

His most favorite place is the perch we put up for him by the window. He spends a LOT of time there every day. He especially loves it when we open the window for him and he can smell and watch birds.


Today I realized that yesterday was the six month anniversary of the day we saw Noodle at the county animal shelter back on December 27th. I'm glad we made him a member of our household. He's added lots of cuteness, comedy, and affection to our house. His first birthday is July 14th. On that day, there will be some special treat... could it be... roasted turkey? Hmm...

Anniversary | The Dinner + The Gifts

Last Saturday 6/25 was the actual date of our wedding anniversary. We had celebrated already by taking two days off earlier in the week and doing fun things around town, but Todd also planned a dinner on the actual anniversary on Saturday. We got a $50 gift card to Roy's in La Jolla for free, as part of the cash back program for Discover Cards. We used to use it for Borders Books and Music gift cards, but now that our local store is closed, we don't have much use for them anymore.

It was a gorgeous evening in San Diego. I love the tiki lamps right outside the window by our table!


The scenery totally reminds me of Hawaii, which I suppose is the atmosphere they're trying to convey. Hawaii is my favorite vacation spot, but living in San Diego is definitely like living in paradise, almost as good as Hawaii!

As soon as we sat down, they brought us edamame. We ate that up in a hurry. I loved the seasoning they sprinkled on!


I ordered the shellfish sampler, which had lobster, crabcake, prawns, and scallops.


Can't say enough good things about it. Very delicious!


Todd ordered the Prix Fixe menu. First up was the Vietnamese lettuce wraps.

I may or may not have stolen one of the meatballs, heh heh.

Todd's entree was a barramundi (fish) dish. He enjoyed it very much.




Our waitress offered to take a photo of us.

Then she asked if we were celebrating something, and we told her it was our anniversary.

Which led her to bring back an extra dessert!


That is, in addition to the incredible Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle. The raspberry sauce really made it special!


After dinner, we came home to exchange gifts. But first I had to work for two hours on finishing my gift to Todd. I had been working on his gift for TWO MONTHS! And since it was a gift, I couldn't work on it when he was around, so I had to sneak an hour here and an hour there, when he wasn't around the house. It was hard work!

I had seen Todd come out of the craft studio mysteriously earlier in the weekend. It did not occur to me that the gift wrapping stuff was in that room, LOL.

And look, he grabbed a journaling card from Project Life to use as a gift tag! How cute is that? (We had already exchanged cards earlier in the week.)

Todd got me some customized stationary from Etsy.




He also got me a book that I forgot to take a picture of. It's called "A Dog's Purpose" by W. Bruce Cameron. I'm really excited to read it, but I'm also scared that I'll cry a lot. I'm sensitive when it comes to animal books!

My gift to Todd, one that I had been working on for two months, is a "Love You" mini-album.




He really loved the album. He keeps looking at it over and over again at different times, and telling me it's "incredible". Having a husband that appreciates a Love You mini album is definitely a plus in my book! And if I had to do it again, I'd marry Todd all over again. Maybe for our 20th anniversary we can "elope" to Vegas and get married by Elvis. :p

PS - I will show the mini-album in more detail in a future post. :)