Random

Hello there,

So maybe my blog should be called "Random Ramblings" lol!! Lots of things have been happening. Little Ensley had strep throat and it was truly heart wrenching to watch her.  She's only 18 months old. Thank goodness she's better and we got to spend the day with her while Jenn & Dan took Elliott & Ethan to Imagination Station. Fun day for all!

Speaking of Jenn. She started an Etsy Shop! Willow Root Design It's a beautiful little shop and I can't wait for my first order to arrive. There's a permanent link on the side bar too so I hope you take a peek. 

Since I quit Project Life, I've been going through all my old albums and actually throwing away a lot of pages from my regular albums..albums titled All About Nature or Celebrations. No one wants those and the pages I do decide to keep, I'll put in my album. I had about 6 12"x12" pages along with a few 8.5"x11" pages sitting on my dining room table while I hem-hawed about throwing them away. Which I did yesterday. Now worries. 

Still struggling but at the same time I'm off to new creative outlets. Still knitting (which I'll never give up as long as my hands can take it) and I've started decorating and adding paper to Elliott's 1st Year album. It's so cute! I will post pics here of the album before I add her photos to it. 

My color-work socks are still coming along. I'm determined to finish them although I'm not sure I LOVE the process. I really don't like knitting them on magic loop because the 2 gaps-one at the beginning of the row and the one half way through with the floats is super annoying. So after I got going, I bought a pair of 9" needles. They're metal so my hands don't like them as much as wood but there's no gaps!! 

Inside out I've learned really helps with tension and the floats. 

I'm now working on sock B as I've finished up to the heel on sock A. I will never finish one whole sock again and have SSS second sock syndrome. 

Sock A

Back in the fall I went to Amish country with Bev, Lydia and Linda. 

We had a ball and I was on a quest to find some macaroons. I ALWAYS used to buy macaroons when we went there and for some reason, the bakeries no longer make them 😞. So, I looked on Pinterest for a recipe, now these are the coconut macaroons, not the meringue macarons. Found the perfect recipe. These will definitely be made again..

YUMM!! 

So, some of my new creative adventures involve painting. Now..I haven't started yet and I did sign up for a class, which I cancelled after I realized, I don't want to paint with acrylics. Oh well. So, I have some watercolor paints, some colored pencils and I'm really interested in Alcohol Inks! Wow do those ever look cool. Very abstract which is what this perfectionist personality needs. 

I have a wandering jew that needs to be pruned and repotted tomorrow. Here's a pic from July last year when I got it and today 😳

So, that's about it. As always,

Thanks for stopping by. 

Knitting, falling, letting go of PL, and all that!

Hello again,

My post in January I showed some yarn I purchased last year during the eclipse. They even came with a cute stitch marker. Anyway, I finished those socks! 

I did not go with this pattern and switched to a nice rib. 

I'm happy with the outcome although I didn't enjoy the process of making the heel & toes. For this sock I decided to knit them cuff down so I could practice knitting socks that way instead of toe up. The reason? I have some patterns and a book for color work socks, and all the patterns are cuff down. To me, toe up is easier. I don't have to graft or kitchener stitch the toes. I can knit until I run out of yarn so I don't have to worry about how long or short to make the cuffs. And the heels are so much easier (to me), no picking up stitches! 

So, I'm knitting a sock in stranded color work from the book Charming Colorwork Socks, toe up, and I just turned the chart upside down in my GoodNotes App and so far so good! 

The pale purple thread running through the base of the toe is my lifeline. So if I totally screw up, like my tension is too tight and I can't put them on, I can rip back to that point and start from there. I'm just knitting the one sock at this point to see about the correct size of my needles, since I was told to go up a needle size just for the color-work part. I'm really happy with the way it's turning out. 

When we went to visit Eric and fam last year, Angela took me to a local yarn shop,  Yarn Matters where we both fell in love with this scarf she had on display. I've started it a couple of times but was never happy with the edges on the sides. I figured out a way to make them beautiful by casting on 2 extra stitches, knit through the back on the first stitch and slip the last stitch with yarn in front as if to purl. This is a great project to take on the road or plane as it doesn't take a lot of concentration. 

The black yarn is sparkly...how fun! 

We had the kids, all 3, spend the night on Friday the 28th. It was part of Jenn's birthday present, we gave her a night out from Friday morning until Saturday at dinner time. At first we were going to go to their house but the kids seemed very excited to stay at MiMi & Papas house. I had Ethan and Elliott upstairs in my craft room playing. I set up some goodies at Elliott's table. They both had a ball with punches, paper, popsicle sticks and markers. We played in the basement and Ethan & I made a banana bread. 

Having them was a lot of fun! 

Since my last post I've been reviewing and reorganizing my scrapbooks. I've combined some Project Life albums that I didn't finish. For example; 2013 & 2014 are now combined into one album separated by year. I consolidated a lot and now I have several empty 12"x12" albums that I'm just not sure what I'll do with. 

I also consolidated the kid's and my albums. I had an 8.5"x11" and 12x12" album for each kid, Eric, Steve, Jenn, Logan & Emmy. I took all the 8.5"x11" layouts and put them into the 12"x12" albums. So, now I also have about 7 or 8 empty 8.5"x11" albums I need to figure out what to do with. 

My dining table is a great space to sort these out. 

The plastic on the chairs? I have 2 cats and both shed AND both love to lay on these chairs. We don't sit in here often enough for me to find removing the covers when we do sit, a hassle at all.

Some of the very first scrapbook pages I made, I look at and cringe. Not because of the pages themselves but because of the cut up photos. When I first started I went to a Creative Memories demonstration and I cut the photos in circles etc. I'm searching through my photos hoping they weren't the originals I did that to.

 

I started an ALL ABOUT ME album in 2022. It was 6"x8" and I've now changed my 9"x12" 2025 Project Life album into my album. Not sure if "x12" will be too big but I love to document with pictures so I don't think it will be a problem. 

Here's the cover page I changed: 

from..

to..

Some nature news. We live in a new development so there aren't a lot of trees and therefore there aren't a lot of birds. Since we moved in 4 years ago, we've added lots and lots of landscaping, trees, bushes etc. I've hung some bird feeders and we've been getting a lot of house wrens and house finches. The other day, I had a pair of bluebirds show up!!! So, I ran out and got some mealworms for them. Unfortunately we live in a VERY WINDY part of town. I had the food in little plastic feeders which were getting blown all all over the place and a lot if not all of the seed was just emptying onto the ground. So, I bought some metal feeders which are holding up a lot better. 

They tend to fly away as I approach the window so I might set up my DSLR camera in there. 

AND, I hate to bring this up but I fell! Jenn was picking us up to watch Elliott get her white belt at the marshal arts studio. Paul was walking out the side door to head to the mailbox and when he opened the door, he said "Jenn's here". So, I got my coat on and followed him out the same door. When my foot stepped out onto the top step, I went flying! It had a layer of ice on it because that side of the house doesn't get sun in the winter. It was horrible! 

There's the step 😖

This pic is from a couple years ago but you can see how it stays icy without the sun...

Our nest camera didn't record the actual fall but what happened afterwards. Here's a screenshot..

Jenn has her phone in her hand and is calling 911. 

The ambulance arrived and I actually stood up with Paul helping from behind and under my arms. I thought I was ok. I sent them away. The next day I was so sore. I had a hard time getting up from a sitting position or standing from sitting. Finally, a week later I went to my doctor because I was still hurting. He took x-rays of my hip and my tailbone. I got a call a couple days later that I had broken my tailbone and there really wasn't anything they could do, just ice and rest and ibuprofen (I can't take Tylenol). 

I got the x-rays posted on my chart and didn't really notice anything. Then I decided to Google what a broken tailbone looks like in an x-ray. 

When I zoomed in, I found what looks like a break to me. 

Zoomed in. 

So, soon I will post about our trip to Hawaii 😊.

Until then, as always, thanks for stopping by. 

I Quit Project Life

Why I Decided To Quit Telling My Story With Project Life. 

 Hi and welcome to my blog. As most of you know, I've been specifically scrapbooking the Project Life way for 13 years using Becky Higgins pocket pages. In that 13 years I have gotten 0 completed albums. 0! I came so close in 2012. So, I've decided to give up on it. Not just for that reason but many reasons...

Last year I watched Stacy Julian's 100 days,  Camera Roll Ready on Instagram. If you get a chance-it's free, you won't believe what your iPhone can do! 

So, last month I signed up for her class about my iPhotos App and IOS 18, called Rock Your Scroll. OMG! I can't believe all the things I DID NOT KNOW about my photos and my phone. And I know a lot! 

Anyway, I was listening to one of the lessons and she stated "your kids do not want your photos"! You know what? She's right! I have been following one of her very first classes call Photo Freedom and in that, you store all your photos in your computer in folders and files. Mine were all neatly stored by months in albums which were in folders by year. AND THEN, I had folders labeled "All About Us" and inside I had albums titled Me, My Family, Paul, Paul's Family, Eric & Family, Steve etc.. Then I had folders with albums inside titled "Places We Go, Things We Do,  Arts & Crafts, Celebrations & Holidays" etc, etc, etc. Thousands of photos on my computer, EHD, AND Dropbox. Heaven forbid my computer crashed and I lost all those photos. 

So, in taking this recent class, not only did she say my kids do not want my photos, she said in another lesson, and this one was THE ONE..."A well managed photos library ABSOLOVES YOU OF THE OBLIGATION to do any kind of chronological documenting or scrapbooking"! I was floored. I mean this was a gut punch. I started thinking..WHAT AM I DOING? Who's going to want all these scrapbooks of my life? Who cares? 

I texted my kids. No, they don't want them. And I have noticed that they don't even look at them. I've been scrapping the "everyday" stuff years, thinking my grandkids or even my kids would want to know my thoughts on things. Because to be honest, I'd see pics of my mom dressed up ready to go out and I'd think "I wonder where she's going". Or I'd see a photo of my dad in a shiny new car..and I'd love to know the details. But, that's just me. Maybe because my parents lost 90% of our photos when they traveled from Montreal to California and got in a car accident towing a trailer. That most of the photos blew away across the bridge and into the water, and I have maybe one baby photo of me. I have none of my mom and dad when they were little. 

Moving forward..and after the initial shock, Eric helped me process all this. He called and we talked and then he sent me a list of questions (which he did in like 10 minutes)! to help me come to grips with not only reality but my thoughts and feelings. I'm so grateful for him and the time he put in to helping me. 

I'm now excited to be focusing on traditional scrapbooking, like the kids, grandkids and my all about me albums. I know, my kids would probably rather have digital albums than paper but I'm a paper girl! I love cutting it and punching it and gluing it down. Painting it or embossing it, doesn't matter..it's fun! 

 I did Ali Edward's class in 2023 called "A Week In The Life" and LOVED IT! I have that album here on my blog I think it was June of 23. This year I may do "A Day In The Life". I'm also in the process of documenting Ali Edwards December Daily..where you take a photo every day in December or leading up to the 25th and document it. I'm having a lot of fun with that (and I don't care if after I die, everything gets chucked out the window). These little albums I will be taking with me to an assisted living or a nursing home, and I'll be able to look back a remember the good times. 

Now I haven't figured out what I'm going to do with my Project Life albums. I may go through them and recreate some pages for my All About Me or the kids' albums without documenting the everyday stuff. But I still need to figure out what I'm going to do with all the 12x12 albums and pocket page inserts. I can sell the blank pockets but do I empty the photos out of the 13 albums I have and throw them away? Maybe.  The one thing I have is time and I don't have to decide right now. It's all good. 

Yesterday I spent the day creating Elliott's 1st year album. So fun! 

 

It has pockets and flip outs etc. I ordered another one so I can make one for Ethan. I also ordered some girly paper and little baby boy paper and some embellishments.  It's going to be a lot of fun! I'll see how these Folio albums turn out and then decide on little Ensley. 

I also decided to journal with my Daphne's Diary Journal. I realized how much of a time-sucker Project Life was. I haven't even journaled in my new, beautiful diary! 

So, here is my very last Project Life page. Even this month I was behind, but now I feel free! Free from the guilt of not finishing or working on something else when I knew I wasn't caught up. 

It's funny but awesome at the same time, I pulled a Tarot Card the other day after talking with Eric & Jenn about my decision to end Project Life. 

This is a beginners set from St. Soleil called Lucid Dreams Tarot. It's gorgeous and I love it so much. Paul got it for me for Christmas one year. Anyway..I pulled the Ace of Wands and read:

"It's a powerful card that symbolizes new beginnings, inspiration, and creative energy. It suggests that you have a great opportunity to harness your creative energy. It's a reminder to trust in your instincts, that you are ready to take on new challenges and projects with enthusiasm. 

HOW COOL IS THAT??  

As always, thanks for stopping by. 

What's Happening!

 Happy mid January! 

I can't believe that 47 years ago today, I was getting ready to have my first baby! I knew NOTHING! LOL!! 

In this picture I'm 12 days late and I'm both extremely excited and scared..and as you can see, I gained 50 lbs!! It was the Burger King Whoppers with cheese without tomato LOL.

Tomorrow's the big day! 

In my previous post I showed you my December Daily for 2023. Since then I've started telling my story in the Project Life style but this year, I'm using a 9x12 sized album instead of my usual 12x12. I'm definitely excited starting this project. Also, I'm going to be documenting weekly instead of monthly. Lots of changes and changes are GOOD! 

Here's my title page. Usually I'll include a Christmas photo of the whole family but this year we didn't all get together at the same time. But..that's ok. I've included my 3 kids in the title page because I document what we do together as a family anyway. 

Here's my first week of January..

I've just started week 3 and will post that along with week 2 after I add the smiley faces to the kids etc. Gotta clean em up first. 

I bought some sock yarn last year during the eclipse and it's actually dyed to look like the different colors of the eclipse. I've started some socks with it. 

How cute is that little stitch marker?! 

For years I kept a journal in a Daphne's Diary notebook. She designs these GORGEOUS spiral planners, I guess you'd call them. Not enough room inside to actually call them a journal but I used to find the room to write every night. Then, the pandemic hit and I couldn't find them. Since 2019 they haven't been in Barnes & Noble (and believe me, I've searched). So it was a total surprise to see them on Amazon at the end of December! I bought one and I'm having so much fun with it! 

Check it out!! It comes with a little paper flap on the inside front and back with all kinds of stickers, post cards, bookmarks..just yummy stuff!! 

Here's the inside back flap. So cute!! 

So Eric sent a text message to our family group about journaling. When I was looking through one of my journals, I came across this page that just warms my heart..

Funny story;

I had bird feeders in the backyard during the summer and we had the hardest time keeping Oreo from eating the seed. He'd pig out on it then get sick, plus being the only house in the neighborhood with bushes and trees, we didn't get much in the way of birds. So we didn't put up feeders this year and when we did put one up, it was the kind that didn't make a mess or sprout. It was in a flat tray type of feeder and the wind would just wreck havoc with it. 

Fast forward to now, I told Paul since Oreo isn't playing out back and nothing is going to sprout in the cold and snow, I wanted to put out some feeders and see if the birds in the arborvitae might come. I didn't have a finch feeder that wasn't a mess so I used a regular small feeder. 

The next day I told Paul. LOOK! Our feeder is almost empty! We've had birds! 

the feeder on the left

Paul says, no we haven't had any birds. The wind took all the birdseed 😡

Anyway, I tried and I did get a new finch feeder. Hopefully that will cut down on the amount of seed the wind whisks away. 

Well, I've rambled enough. As always..

Thanks for stopping by.