A Christmas Story...

BEFORE:

AFTER:
THE END.

Pinch me...

I'm going through the motions, and then it really hits me- Christmas is here already. Like many of you, somewhere in my brain, I still have weeks to get ready. The reality is setting in, and I have to come to terms with the fact that half of the decorations are still packed away, I've done no real baking, and there is still plaster and sawdust everywhere you look. Well Christmas is coming ready or not!

All that really matters are these two little angels, and making Christmas magical for them. I think despite everything, we're already halfway there for this year.


Cardstock: Coredinations
pp: October Afternoon, The Paper Company
letters: American Crafts, October Afternoon
stickers : October Afternoon
Pearls: Dollarama
Glitter: Stix II
I used Diamond Glaze on the candies and cranberries, and pop dotted some of the popcorn and berries.

Have a warm and happy Christmas Eve everyone!
Erin

Merry Little Trimmer

published in Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine, Winter 2010/11

Here he is! Here's a layout to go with the little story I told you about our oldest and his obsession this year about decorating the tree. This is our real tree that we'll be putting the gifts under. He spent forever emptying box after box of ornaments I wasn't even going to put on the tree. ( they all ended up in huge bunches on the bottom branches, but it kept him very busy!)

Products used:
Cardstock: Bo Bunny, DCWV Glitter
PP: Basic Grey
Felt: Fancy Pants
letter stickers: American Crafts, Adorn It
Sticker: Bella Blvd
Rub Ons: Doodlebug Designs Inc.
Die- Cut: (Merry) Cricut
Brads:Dollarama, Doodlebug Designs Inc.
Gingerbread men, candies: Dollarama
Rick Rack : Unknown
pearls: Prima "e"
Glitter: Stix II
Paper floss: Karen Foster
stamp: Autumn Leaves

8 days to go!

Every morning, the first thing out of Ethan's mouth is " Mama? My want to open my calendar!" ( his advent calendar). He loves moving the ornaments from the numbered boxes and hanging them in Santa's workshop, and he especially loves the candies hidden inside. He's good though, if there are 2 mint M&M's he'll share one with me ( one chocolate penguin? I'm not always so lucky :) ). It's due to the calendar though that I am painfully aware of just how close we really are to Christmas day.


I have been a bit productive this week, although the renovations have kept me from really decorating. Ethan loves decorating the tree- so much so that he got mad at us for finishing "his" tree in the playroom without him. The next morning, he insisted on removing and repositioning ornaments- for about an hour! Sunday we started decorating the real tree in our otherwise empty living room- (furniture should be arriving in January). Monday we baked cookies. They were the premade kind, but we had fun rolling the edges in coloured sugar.

The four of us spent time outside in the snow on Sunday. Parker likes it but gets frustrated really quickly because he can't move. It must be because he's a winter baby, but Ethan LOVES the snow; he wakes up each morning, looks out the window and yells "WOW!!... MORE (S)NOW!"
We've also introduced them to hot cocoa - or as Ethan calls it- " Hot Toclate with monsterlows"
(marshmallows). Parker got to taste a spoonful, and it was followed by sounds of "Mo! Mo!" and the repeated sign for "more".

I think we're planning on going this afternoon to get out H1N1 vaccines before the community posts close, so we don't have to trek to the clinic or doctor to get them. It's great that the kids got them already, but Mark and I would be in a bit of a bind if both of us fell sick at the same time with no family living nearby.

Before I leave for today, Here are some ornaments I played around making last week ( for this week's DT challenge on Practical Scrappers) . I used some acrylic ornaments by Clear Scraps, Peel-off's by Magenta, and Sakura Souffle and Glaze pens. I finished the edges using Glossy Accents, and some clear seed beads I found in Mark's mom's sewing box. ( It makes me feel good to use things like that especially on ornaments we'll enjoy as a family).

I hope to post again before Christmas, but you never know how busy things might get. So take time to enjoy the moments, and don't stress about making them perfect.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

3 years ago at midnight

I was just arriving at the hospital with contractions 3 to 5 minutes apart.
7 hours and 37 minutes later Ethan Tate Kislingbury was born, and I became a mom.
I would do it over and over and over again- (maybe more with an epidural).


Happy 3rd Birthday Little Bear!

An update and Joyride.

We spent the day today running around getting some last minute things for Ethan's 3rd birthday party tomorrow. We're having a pirate party complete with treasure chest and Pirate cake- Check out the cake my friend Bella made here- it's so awesome!

We're starting to see some light at the end of the renovation tunnel, and I hope this is the last round of vacuuming up sawdust and plaster dust ( I know it's probably not, but a girl can dream!)The windows are in, stained and trimmed. now for the oil, and clean up. The boys bathroom is still missing a couple of coats of paint, a toilet, two sinks and a counter, but it's already turning out to be one of my favorite rooms in the house (it's all about the bathtub- but I'll write about that on another day).

I'm still patiently waiting for news on my Cricut expression. It was supposed to arrive in time at my dad's house in Maine so he could bring it with him last Sunday. Now once it gets there, I'll have to arrange some other way to get it here in one piece. Maybe Santa can put it on his sleigh?! I would be soo happy if it made it here to go under the tree, or at least by my birthday.

The kids are doing fine, Ethan's an angel one minute, and testing the very limits of my patience the next. He's really starting to want to learn more grownup stuff, and loves helping Mark and I in the kitchen. Parker is turning out to be quite the imitator, picking up new sounds and words daily ( many he won't repeat again when prompted) My favorites right now are his elephant sound, roaring, and "whoa! whoa! whoa!" ( according to Parker there are 3 sounds- elephant, vehicle, and roar- if it's not an elephant or if it doesn't have wheels it must roar). Oh who am I fooling...I find anything he says at this stage darling!


Here's the layout I did last night cropping with the girls. I used some of the new Collage Press Christmas line Joyride- wow- what gorgeous papers!! fun and bold like I like 'em, but with just the right touch of distressing to add to the charm of the vintage graphics.
You can't get the feel of the whole line from the papers I used, so go check them out here if you want.

Cardstock: Bazzill Swiss dot, Bazill Basics Paper
PP: Collage Press
Letters: Prima, October Afternoon ( I've been getting a ton of use out of these babies!)
Bling: Zva ( and I used a whole flourish!!)
Chipboard: American Crafts

I must go now and test out the new tub (again) just to make sure it's all installed properly and the water still works...

from the recycle bin!?

Yep, my latest page features a sheet of cardstock pulled from the recycle bin ( I got acrylic paint on it while doing the acrylic paint challenge for Practical Scrappers.) Due to a friendly side challenge over on the PS message boards to use only scrap paper ( no cheating for the background!) and any other embellies, this is what I came up with.

I just couldn't bring myself to piece together a background , so I grabbed the full paint filled sheet. The photos were kinda "scrap" too, I had no idea what to do with them before this. I used pp from my scrap pile, as well as embellies from my catch all container. ( you know the stuff that doesn't have a home anymore, but you may use somewhere later?) It feels great to have created something from a bunch of nothing!


Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper
PP: Scenic Route, Jenni Bowlin, Sassafras Lass, My Mind's
Letters: American Crafts, October Afternoon
Chipboard: Scenic Route, Fancy Pants
Felt: Fancy Pants
Beads: Stix II
Gems, Pearls: Dollarama, Martha Stewart
Ink: Colorbox pigment ink
Paint: various
Pen: Staedtler triplus fineliner, AC Slick Writer

Christmas Cards

Any of you who know me well know that I'm mainly a layout scrapper, and don't often get into making cards. This week at Practical Scrappers the focus is on Christmas cards, and I found myself dreading making a card for the challenge. I made one flop of a card ( which got tossed this am), then, as if by magic, I made three keepers in a row!! I can honestly say I had lots of fun doing them too! Using some scrap cardstock, and 1 sheet from Basic Grey's Eskimo kisses line, I had enough for 3 cards, and lots leftover! I never thought of cards as a way to use some of the more sparkly and frilly stuff from my stash before now. Maybe this card making thing will become a habit afterall!


Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper
PP: Basic Grey
Stickles
misc buttons
Trim: Dollarama
chipboard: Pebbles, Making Memories