Lindsay's Layouts

Scrap Happy kit: I love Hello Kitty!

2012-01-26T20:27:00.000-06:00

At the age of 4, Lauren has already gone through several toy and character obsessions. Her latest obsession has been Hello Kitty. She loves all things Hello Kitty! We have clothes, beanie babies, play dough, socks, and the list goes on. We even had a Hello Kitty themed birthday party this past October. I decided to make this layout into a kit because I was guessing that other people shared in this obsession for Hello Kitty. I was right--the kit sold out quickly! This design is very simple. I just made a 4"x 4" grid. And, the paper is leftover Christmas paper from Echo Park. It was just the right color scheme to go with Hello Kitty. For now, I'll just hope that Lauren's next obsession has matching patterned paper or a Cricut cartridge!

Scrap Happy Kit: What's cookin?

2012-01-23T09:21:00.002-06:00

I'm going to take it easy this week, so I'll just be sharing two more of my kits from Scrap Happy. It was a huge success! I'm always amazed at all of the people from our church who give of themselves to help us pull off this event. There were 45 very grateful women who scrapped the day away on Saturday. This was my favorite kit from my collection for the event. I love the happy colors (Doodlebug papers rock!), the Cricut die cut utensils, and, of course, the photos of Lauren. For Christmas, she received an EZ-Bake oven. Adam also got the three of us girls matching aprons. Madeline's drags the ground, but she'll grow into it! Anyway, Lauren was beyond excited to try her new oven out. After an hour of adding water, stirring, and waiting and waiting on that oven, she was proud to present one dozen very, very tiny cookies. I had to laugh, because we could have baked about two dozen decent tasting cookies in the real oven in the same amount of time. But, she loved it just the same. And we all enjoyed sampling her creation!

Scrap Happy Kit: Winter Wonder

2012-01-20T09:38:00.001-06:00

This layout kit seems rather appropriate as a snowstorm looms! I will admit, I have been a wreck this week over things I cannot control, like the weather. Tomorrow is Scrap Happy, and I am hoping and praying that the 40+ women who are registered will make their way to the event and arrive safe and sound. Then, we can spend a long day in the warmth of the building, chatting and scrapping with old friends and new. Fingers crossed! I fell in love with the little penguins on this paper from Jillibean Soup, courtesy of MemoryWorks. So, I made similar ones on the Cricut and created this kit. I snapped these pictures of the girls a week ago. It was freezing on this particular day, so the fun only lasted about 10 minutes! Lauren loves the snow and had a ball. Madeline seems a little bit afraid of it. And, she won't keep a hat on to save her life, so she was cold and grumpy. I'm looking forward to more snow pictures after our little event today. Have a great weekend! Hopefully I will spend it scrapping!

Scrap Happy Kit: Bee Mine

2012-01-18T09:50:00.003-06:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so this is my first official layout to celebrate. I wanted to make a cute kit, but I wanted to show that it could work for photos of kids or adults. I went the adult route on this one. This layout has a lot of color, so I made all of the photos black and white. I think it's a little easier on the eyes that way. This paper was actually Christmas paper, but the colors also work for Valentine's Day or baby or spring. Adam and I hit a major milestone last year--our 10th wedding anniversary. These are photos from throughout 2011. I had to creatively crop some. It's very rare for Adam and I to be in a photo without the girls. I did manage to find a few though. Check back later this week for one more kit. And, keep your fingers crossed that we'll have great weather for scrapping on Saturday!

Scrap Happy Kit: Noel

2012-01-15T11:47:00.000-06:00

This week, I'll be counting every minute as I prepare for Scrap Happy at Grace Community Christian Church on Saturday. I'm praying the weather cooperates! This is one of the kits for the event. I had this great paper from Making Memories, and I used my Cricut to make branches that match the ones on the patterned paper. All of the gold embellishments are glittery, so this photo really doesn't do the layout justice. These are photos from our pre-Christmas celebration with my family. The girls scored big, as usual, with guitars, a tent and many other toys. But, the best moment was when my mom opened her present from Lauren. Lauren was a diligent shopper at Macy's, picking out earrings or jewelry for everyone this year. She has bold taste, so we had to tone it down a bit, but she still did a great job. We'll work on keeping gifts a secret next year! Check back later this week for another kit!

Scrap Happy class: Celebrate

2012-01-13T09:09:00.007-06:00

Scrap Happy is a week away, and I've been busy with all the preparations. We are oversold this time, which means a lot of ladies are in the scrapping mood! For the first time, I'll be teaching a Cricut class, highlighting all of the basic buttons and features. The attendees will be able to make this layout with all of the pieces they have cut during the class. I used papers from Simple Stories, courtesy of MemoryWorks. They are colorful and gender neutral. These photos are from Lauren's birthday this past year. We had already celebrated with family and her friends, so on her actual birthday, we were very low-key. It was a school day. I made her a special breakfast, and she was the snack person at school. Later, we headed to the mall to use her Build A Bear gift card and ride the carousel. She played with her new makeup table all day long. And Madeline sneaked in a little bit of play time with it while Lauren was at school. It was a very fun day!

Tis the Season kit

2012-01-11T09:47:00.002-06:00

We stretched our Christmas celebrations out for more than a week this year. We began the weekend before Christmas, visiting my family and my hometown. The girls enjoyed seeing their grandparents, and we were able to visit my grandma, who is in assisted living now. It has become a tradition to take a family photo every year, both with my family and Adam's family. This year, our photo shrunk because my brother was away working and my sister was in California. We still had a lot of fun trying to get everyone to look at the camera at the same time! Lauren really got into being the photographer and kept taking photos of all of us. Madeline, in her usual fashion, kept trying to escape (as evidenced by the bottom photo!). In the end, we have a lot of funny photos and memories, and I have a timeline of our Christmases through the years. This layout is a kit for the January kit club. The papers are from Echo Park, courtesy of MemoryWorks. If you've been watching my blog in the last week, you'll notice this continuing trend of red, blue and black. I added a little more green to this layout with the addition of the trees. I'll have another Christmas layout to share later this week!

Snow much fun kit

2012-01-09T09:39:00.003-06:00

I've had this layout swirling around in my mind for quite awhile. I'd even cut quite a few of the pieces for my sample when I read the December issue of Cricut magazine and saw an identical snow globe on a card. I guess great minds think alike! I ran into two hiccups while working on this kit. First, we haven't had much snow this winter. Almost none, actually! So, I had been stalling to get better photos. Instead, I went with these from the one dusting we had in December. Second, after I'd cut most of my sample pieces, my Gypsy bit the dust. This was a major setback, because I had several custom files saved there. Many of these pieces had to be hand cut, because I'm still waiting on my new, reprogrammed Gypsy from Provo Craft. Anyway, this is a kit for the January kit crop. I used papers from Echo Park, courtesy of MemoryWorks. I love the red and blue color combo, and the black polka dots give it a little kick. The white cardstock is glittered, which looks amazing on all of the snow pieces. For now, I'll keep enjoying this unusual warm January weather. I'm sure I'll get some snow pictures eventually!

Deck the Halls

2012-01-05T09:57:00.001-06:00

We had so much fun decorating for Christmas this year. It was like starting from scratch because most of the decorations from the old house didn't quite fit the new house. I tried to capture photos of everything, but I'd never be able to fit them all on one layout. These are a few of my favorites, all in one place. This layout is a kit for the January Kit Crop, featuring Echo Park papers, courtesy of MemoryWorks. I saw this stocking die in the Stampin' Up mini catalog last fall, and ideas started forming in my mind. I embossed it with a Cuttlebug folder, and I love the end result. It really makes the cardstock pop! I'll have plenty more layouts to share next week. And, I'll start sharing Scrap Happy kits very soon. I've been a very busy lady!

Christmas sweets

2012-01-03T21:56:00.000-06:00

Christmas has come and gone, but I have a ton of photos and layouts to share, so I hope you aren't completely out of the spirit just yet! This first layout is a kit for my January Kit Crop. I had so much fun making this kit because of all the pink. I love the pink/turquoise combination and how it complements this patterned paper from Jillibean Soup, courtesy of MemoryWorks. The gingerbread house is becoming a tradition. I buy the pre-assembled house, so that all of our time is spent decorating. Lauren got very creative with all of the candies, and she only sampled a few pieces. Madeline kept circling the kitchen table, so we let her add a few pieces to the outer edge of the house. I really have to take a step back and let Lauren take over. The perfectionist in me wants to make a Martha Stewart creation! Maybe next year we'll make two houses, one for the girls and one for the mom!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

Digital elements: Dani Mogstad

25 days of Christmas finale

2011-12-29T22:04:00.000-06:00

The finished product! These are the last pages from the "25 Days of Christmas" class that I taught in November. I love the way they turned out. They are residing in my Project Life album for 2011, which I'll be wrapping up in a few days. I can't say enough positive things about Simple Stories. Their papers make life so easy, and they look amazing. I can't wait to share the Project Life project that I've created for my January class. It is an entire year in one kit--26 individual pages--combining the Project Life philosophy with Simple Stories Year.O.Graphy papers. Check back next week for pictures!

Christmas morning...

2011-12-26T09:05:00.002-06:00

The big day has come and gone. Now, the cleaning, organizing and sugar detoxing begins. I'm always sad to say farewell to Christmas. It's such a busy, magical time of year, made even more special now that I have two very excited children. Lucky for me, I have a pile of several hundred (yes, hundred!) photos from various Christmas activities this year to scrapbook. This is a layout that shares our Christmas morning from last year. I created this spread based on a sketch challenge from Creating Keepsakes a while back. The paper is from Echo Park. Looking at these photos, it's obvious that Madeline has definitely changed a lot in a year! She was right in the middle of everything this year, unwrapping gifts and trying to take all of Lauren's toys. I can't wait to put this layout side by side with a current Christmas layout to really see the changes. That means I'd better get scrapping! I'll be sharing photos of kits for my upcoming kit crop and Scrap Happy very soon!

December 25: Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:19:00.000-06:00

December 24

2011-12-24T09:20:00.001-06:00

December 23

2011-12-23T12:02:00.002-06:00

December 22

2011-12-22T09:17:00.002-06:00

December 21

2011-12-21T09:23:00.000-06:00

December 20

2011-12-20T09:21:00.002-06:00

December 19

2011-12-19T09:58:00.000-06:00

December 18

2011-12-18T10:03:00.000-06:00

December 17

2011-12-17T10:02:00.000-06:00

December 16

2011-12-16T10:01:00.000-06:00

December 15 and a few more pages...

2011-12-15T09:58:00.001-06:00

December 14

2011-12-14T10:08:00.001-06:00

December 13

2011-12-13T10:07:00.000-06:00

December 12

2011-12-12T10:53:00.000-06:00

December 11

2011-12-11T19:53:00.000-06:00

December 10

2011-12-10T12:40:00.000-06:00

December 9

2011-12-09T08:41:00.000-06:00

December 8 and the first layouts

2011-12-08T08:35:00.000-06:00

And now, here are the first two completed pages from the "25 Days of Christmas" kit that I made last month. I'm using divided page protectors, along with paper from Simple Stories, courtesy of MemoryWorks. I am putting the number stickers on the outside of the protectors, just because I don't like putting stickers on my photos. Honestly, I think the end result is amazing. I'm having fun documenting our month, and I'm able to just slip the photos into the pockets each day. But, it looks like I've put forth a lot of effort! It will be our secret. Keep checking daily for more photos and pages as they are completed.

December 7

2011-12-07T09:16:00.003-06:00

December 6

2011-12-06T09:14:00.000-06:00

December 5

2011-12-05T11:23:00.000-06:00

December 4

2011-12-04T11:23:00.000-06:00

December 3

2011-12-03T09:13:00.001-06:00

December 2

2011-12-02T09:22:00.002-06:00

25 Days of Christmas!

2011-12-01T09:13:00.004-06:00

I will be sharing a photo a day during the month of December. These photos are for the 25 Days of Christmas project that I made for our November kit crop. The kit consisted of divided page protectors, so it's very easy to slip photos in and have a finished project. I used the Christmas paper from Simple Stories. For this photo, I also used digital overlays by Ali Edwards. A photo a day can be intimidating at first, but it is easy to attempt it in December. Most people have a very busy month, which usually means a lot of opportunities for photos. Plus, there are endless decorations to photograph. I'll be sharing little bits of our Christmas festivities throughout the month. Enjoy!

Christmas in July...

2011-11-28T10:15:00.001-06:00

I am breathing a sigh of relief this morning as Lauren is headed back to school, and our routine is returning to normal. While I enjoyed our week of Thanksgiving festivities, I grew a little restless by the end of it, along with the rest of the Wahl crew. We went into the city twice, visiting museums and family. We even ventured to Chuck E. Cheese and shopped for Christmas decorations. We had so much fun decking the halls of our new house. I have many photos and a layout to follow! I think Lauren was even more excited than I was. Since it is Cyber Monday, and Christmas is just around the corner, I thought I'd share a layout from summer CHA. This layout is based on a sketch by Allison Davis, and the paper is Basic Grey from Memory Works. While I realize the patterns are busy, I absolutely love the colors. They really pop. I added white borders around my photos to separate them from the papers a bit. I'm sure you can guess what I'll be asking Santa for this year...scrapbooking goodies!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T10:06:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours. It has been a pajama-filled, monkey bread-baking, parade-watching kind of morning. We are blessed beyond measure. Today, and hopefully everyday, we thank God for all we have been given. We don't deserve it, but we are so, so grateful for it. Have a wonderful turkey day!

Digital elements: Dani Mogstad designs

Grateful...

2011-11-21T11:32:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving plans are in full swing. We're enjoying a week off of school for Lauren, and Adam is taking some time off here and there for some fun with the girls. I'm trying to make lists for groceries, Christmas, etc. However, I don't want to lose the focus of this week. We are so incredibly blessed, and I wanted to capture some of those often overlooked blessings on a layout. I went around the house photographing the girls or things here and there. I made all of the photos sepia-toned, and I love the effect with the colors of the papers. My two favorite pictures are the one of the girls hand in hand and the one where Madeline is kissing Adam. Both are just precious, and I get choked up looking at this layout now. I don't take a lot of pictures at Thanksgiving. I've talked with fellow scrappers who've said the same thing. So, I really pushed myself to create several layouts with a Thanksgiving theme this year. I'm hoping others will be inspired to document their blessings. This layout is a kit for Scrap Happy. I used papers from Fancy Pants, courtesy of Memory Works. All of the photos are 3"x 3". Take a moment today to be grateful for all you have been given!

So tweet...

2011-11-17T11:21:00.000-06:00

This week, Lauren and Madeline had a fun day with their friend Katherine. We headed to Kidstown for a morning of playing and pretending. It's so amazing to watch Lauren and Katherine now, because they actually play and interact. They've always liked each other, but their friendship began as side by side play, rather than any interaction. It's a completely different story now! The girls had a blast dressing up, dancing, driving the cars and working at the grocery store. Madeline did her own thing (doesn't she always?) and had a blast. I had a hard time keeping up with her. But, when she reached her limit, she decided to lay down in the middle of the room and rest. She is always my drama queen! I made this layout as a kit for Scrap Happy. I used a line of papers from Fancy Pants, courtesy of Memory Works. I added the two birds to complete the visual triangle on the layout. The title is a fitting description for the three little girls on this layout...So tweet!

Fresh picked...

2011-11-14T16:43:00.000-06:00

We have so many fall traditions that it is difficult to cram them all into a few short months. Apple picking is one of those traditions! This was Madeline's first experience, and she really enjoyed it. We went on an especially warm September day, but that didn't stop us from picking, tasting and having fun. After our adventure, we made apple salad and apple pie. Yum! This was a layout kit that I put together for the September Kit Crop. I'd been meaning to share it, but it got lost in the shuffle with all of the October kits. I used the Simple Stories Elementary line, courtesy of Memory Works. The apple trees are a Quickutz die, and they are the perfect addition to the page (complete with apple buttons!). I'm dreaming of some apple pie right now!

So very thankful...

2011-11-10T11:02:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is often an overlooked holiday as stores race ahead to Christmas decorations, music, sales, etc. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to start playing my holiday music here, but I also want to take the time to be thankful during this November. This is a kit for my upcoming November kit crop, made with paper from Fancy Pants, courtesy of Memory Works. These are photos from last Thanksgiving, when we spent the holiday with my extended family. I'm glad that this layout features photos of my dad. It's tough to catch him on camera, because he's usually taking the pictures (I guess it runs in the family!). Here, these photos show how much he adores his granddaughters. The feeling is definitely mutual! My girls are so very blessed with loving grandparents on both sides of the family. They also have many doting aunts, uncles and great-grandparents. We couldn't ask for more. So, as the days get shorter (and my to-do list gets longer...), I'm trying to reflect on all we've been given. God has blessed us in so many ways, and we are so very thankful.

Baby shower bonanza...

2011-11-07T11:08:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, Gina and I threw a baby shower for my friend Erica. We had quite the guest list, so we decided on a dessert buffet, complete with a chocolate fountain. Erica's nursery theme is teddy bears, so we got busy creating and hunting down cute bears. So, for my blog post today, I thought I'd relax a bit and share some of my work. Here are a few of my crafty creations from the shower. My Cricut got a lot of use--onesie banners, letters, bears, etc. The baby blocks are made from Kleenex boxes, and I layered scalloped circles on dowels to create the vase centerpiece. Everyone left full and happy. Now, it's time to rest and recuperate before my sister's shower next weekend. For now though, I hope you enjoy the projects. It was a beary great day!

You're a hoot!

2011-11-03T10:07:00.000-05:00

What is it about owls lately? I just love the cute little owls for scrapbooking, decorating and on clothing. In real life, owls are not that cute, but in the scrapbooking world, they are adorable. I made this layout as a kit for the November kit crop. I used paper from Bella Blvd, courtesy of Memory Works. My little Madeline is definitely a hoot! She loves "talking" on the phone. She raids the pantry constantly, hence the Cheerios catastrophe. She walks around the house playing the kazoo, which is hilarious to watch. She also loves to draw and color. In the car, she'll play with her Magna Doodle forever. Her latest trick is to lead us on a scavenger hunt for things like shoes, toys, makeup. (I found a very, very expensive jar of moisturizer in the garbage because she decided to rearrange the vanity!) She tucks things away in her stroller or grocery cart or whatever cabinet she can find. She knows what she wants, and no one is going to stop her when she gets an idea in her head. She is a little spitfire. As I said in my journaling, she makes me laugh, but she also makes my hair gray!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:17:00.001-05:00

Happy Fall

2011-10-28T10:06:00.000-05:00

It seems like this fall has been more colorful than any other I can remember. Maybe it's because we live in an area with farmland and a lot of mature trees, or maybe Mother Nature has just been in a great mood; either way, the view has been breathtaking throughout the entire month of October. On Columbus Day, we took the girls to the Arboretum. It was a rare 80 degree day. The place was packed! Despite the crowds, we had so much fun collecting leaves, viewing the scarecrows and taking in the beauty of nature. I made this layout as a kit for the October kit crop. I made the circle tree to mimic the patterned paper strips. The paper is Bella Blvd, courtesy of Memory Works. Honestly, the photos don't do the colors justice. Go out and enjoy them before they are gone!

Where has the time gone?

2011-10-24T19:53:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, my baby girl will turn 4. Adam and I have both just been shaking our heads and saying, "How can she be 4?" Where did the time go? Lauren seems older and wiser everyday (she already seems to know more than her mom or dad!). She's going to school; she's busy with activities. She's trying new things all the time. Time just goes too fast! These are photos from Lauren's party last year. We went to Bouncetown with all of her friends. She had a blast, minus when everyone sang to her. She really doesn't like to be the focus of the attention! Anyway, it was the perfect party for our family at the time. Madeline was still so little, and I really wanted to make Lauren's day special, but I didn't want that to involve a ton of kiddos running around our house! We were still in survival mode with the baby! This layout was a kit that I purchased at CKC from K.I.S.S. scrapbook kits. I just love the playfulness of the colors and that cake! It goes with all of the bright colors in the photos. Happy Birthday, Lauren! Mommy loves you!

Halloween treats

2011-10-20T16:04:00.000-05:00

Lauren and I had a blast making a haunted gingerbread house at Kid's Kitchen on Tuesday. I created this layout as a kit, using a lot of different supplies, but mostly Bella Blvd paper. I've been thinking about a candy tree ever since I created an egg tree layout back at Easter. And, I used my pennant punch (Stampin' Up) to create a candy corn banner to match! This layout really pops now that I have the colorful photos. All of that green icing and candy really stands out! I'm so thankful to have these little snippets of Mommy/Daughter time, and I'm thankful that someone else got to clean up our mess!

Pick of the patch...

2011-10-17T09:56:00.001-05:00

October and pumpkins go hand in hand; I think that's a given! Lauren has always been my pumpkin girl. Even as a baby she was drawn to them. I think she's known all along that she was born in October. This year, Madeline got to join in on the fun too. We took the girls to the pumpkin patch, and we let them explore, shop, eat and play. Madeline loved the farm animals. She wanted to touch all of them, while Lauren was timid. Lauren took it upon herself to choose a pumpkin for each member of our family, plus an extra large one for carving. We sampled some apple cider donuts, and we picked out some festive decor. Of course, we took a ton of photos. I just love the vibrant orange in pumpkin photos. I purposely dressed the girls in black so the other fall colors would jump out in the pictures (and their cute little grins). This layout is a kit from my October Kit Crop. The patterned paper is from Bella Blvd, courtesy of MemoryWorks. By making the bottom border of 3" square photos, I was able to fit a lot of memories onto one layout. Check back later this week for more fall fun!

Boo!

2011-10-13T08:53:00.002-05:00

Halloween decorations are out in full force in the Wahl house. Lauren and I had so much fun decorating and preparing for the fall holidays in our new home. These wooden blocks are sitting on the console table in our entryway. I can't take any credit for the idea--this was the make'n'take at the Provo Craft booth at CHA back in July. However, I'll take credit for the assembly and my own personal touches. Lauren helped me cover the blocks with glue and attach the background papers. I embellished here and there, straying from the original design a bit. The end result is festive and fun. I love the decorative tulle used right along with the ribbon. It adds a splash of color and a different texture. This may be my only home decor project for awhile; I have a ton of layouts to share, both kits and just for fun. So, enjoy this piece of eye candy for now. And, check back next week for some more fall goodies!

Halloween through the years...

2011-10-10T14:16:00.003-05:00

Bella Blvd has the cutest lines in their fall/winter collection. I'm going to be sharing layouts on and off for the next few months featuring their great paper, courtesty of MemoryWorks. This line is called, "Too Cute to Spook." I paired the paper with some great Cricut die cuts and set out to scrap my photos. I had asked my mom to find any Halloween photos of us (my brother, sister and I) growing up. She could only find a few, which I've shown here. Now, Halloween is as big as Christmas. People decorate, dress up and go all out with parties and events. When we were growing up, it wasn't as big of a deal or as commercialized. Still, these few photos triggered a lot of great memories.

My mom, the seamstress (ha ha!), made a witch costume for me, as can be seen in some of the photos. Years later, my sister wore the same costume. Then came the ballerina phase... Megan and I dressed up in our recital costumes year after year, so I guess that justifies the high price my parents paid for them all those years ago! I remember dressing up as a baby, a pumpkin, a clown and a bunny. What I don't remember is ever buying a costume! We either made them or borrowed them from a friend. Sadly, I've always bought Lauren's costumes (and now Madeline's too!). While I do dream of the day that I'll have endless time and skill to make a great costume, I calmly take my credit card and order a costume for both girls. I'll save my energy for scrapping the great photos! This layout is one that we'll be making at the October Kit Crop, and it is based on one of Becky Fleck's Page Maps.

Halloween parties...

2011-10-06T14:06:00.003-05:00

Last year, I was one of the lucky moms who got to help with the school Halloween party. First, Lauren paraded around the building with her class while the parents snapped pictures. Then, we headed back to the room for some games, snacks, goodie bags and more. I was thrilled to be in Lauren's classroom all morning, playing with the kids and even reading a story. I snapped a lot of great pictures too! I feel so blessed to be able to share these special days with my girl. As much as I miss being in my own classroom and teaching, I am so lucky to be able to spend time with Lauren. This paper by My Mind's Eye was a free kit that I received at Simply A Scrappin' Escape. I attended the weekend event in Aurora in September, and I came home with a ton of completed layouts. The cute "trick or treat" scene was actually a corner of patterned paper. Sometimes the cute papers can be a stumbling block because I don't want to cover up the pattern, so, I decided to cut out just a square of it and use it near my photos. I also had fun layering various die cut pieces with foam adhesive. This layout is loosely based on a sketch by Allison Davis.

Happy October!

2011-10-03T08:46:00.000-05:00

October is always a very busy month in the Wahl household. Between usual fall and school activities, Halloween and Lauren's birthday, we seem to be all over the place. This is also the best time of year for scrapbooking and craft projects! I usually have more projects to share than I can possibly fit into a month. This is a simple Halloween layout showcasing our photos from last year. I love this colorful Doodlebug paper, and those polka dots are raised felt. Too cute! I wanted to feature as many patterned papers as possible. I added the strip above and below the photos just to break it up a bit. It brings the focus in on the pictures, which is where it should be (no matter how cute the paper is!). Lauren was Strawberry Shortcake last year, and Madeline was a cat. Halloween is so much more fun now that the focus is on them. Lauren went trick-or-treating for the first time last October. She came home with quite a haul, and she had a blast. I can't wait to see how the fun unfolds this time around!

Pumpkin time!

2011-09-29T17:17:00.000-05:00

With October looming around the corner, I'm getting very excited for pumpkin season! I love taking the girls to the pumpkin patch, not only for the great photos, but also for the great fall experience. Every year, I think I enjoy fall more and more--the colors, the activities, the food. These are pictures from our trip to the patch last year. Madeline was still quite tiny, but Lauren had a great time picking out a pumpkin for each member of our family. She also loved the bounce house. Go figure! This layout comes from a sketch made by Allison Davis. I attended a crop over the weekend, and I finished 15 layouts, mostly using her sketches. They just make scrapbooking so easy and fun. I love using turquoise for fall pages. It really makes this page pop. I'm already planning our pumpkin adventure for this year! Now, I need the weather to cooperate.

I love cake!

2011-09-26T11:53:00.004-05:00

I had so much fun playing with this layout! This is a kit that I purchased at CKC in St. Louis from a company called K.I.S.S. scrapbook kits. It took quite a bit of time to separate and ink all of the circles, but the colors just make me smile. Madeline dove into her birthday cake when she had her first birthday pictures taken at Jill's. It's funny because she was so timid at her party in our home. However, when she saw the cake at the studio that day, she instantly knew what it was. For a while, she was up to her elbows in that cake! You can tell from her expression in all of the pictures that this was very serious business. Such a great day and a great memory!

Fabulous Day...

2011-09-22T19:52:00.000-05:00

Back in August, I helped in a class at the Scrapbook Expo, sponsored by Quick Quotes. I finally had time to dive into my class kit this past weekend at Scrap Happy. The kit was for 2 layouts, but I really didn't like the look of either of them. So, the end result is one layout, done my way. Lauren had been begging for a "big girl bike" for more than a year. We assured her that once we moved into our new house, which has a bit more breathing room in the garage, we would go pick out a new bike for her. She was beyond thrilled with her princess bicycle, and she sat on pins and needles while Adam assembled it in the garage. She donned her new helmet and took off. She rode like a pro for a few minutes, and then she wiped out on a sharp turn. She was timid after that! Now, hundreds of bike rides later, I'm so grateful that we live in a neighborhood that has walking paths. It's been so fun to take both girls for walks and rides every evening after dinner. I will miss those walks now that it's getting colder and the sun is setting earlier. My favorite part of this layout (besides the pictures) would have to be the chipboard trees. They complete the look and add dimension all at once. Have a great weekend!

Precious...

2011-09-19T19:51:00.000-05:00

My little Madeline is growing and changing far too quickly these days. I wanted to find some great purple paper that complemented her purple dress in her first year photos. I just love this line from My Mind's Eye, and I couldn't resist the butterfly patterned paper. The butterflies are symbolic right now because Madeline has taken off, literally. She is walking and climbing all over the place. She's still quite wobbly, but we are struggling to keep up. Most of the time, if she disappears for a few seconds, she's headed for Lauren's bedroom. It seems to be her favorite place in the house. I think it is sweet; Lauren has been very tolerant thus far. Let's hope this continues! This layout is a kit that I've created for upcoming events that I'm hosting or participating in. The photos measure 4"x 6" and 6" x 4" (3).

September Scrap Happy is almost here!!

2011-09-15T20:43:00.000-05:00

The countdown has begun! Scrap Happy is less than 48 hours away. I have literally been burning the candle at both ends to get everything ready. This will be our 7th event, but I seem to have a few extra duties this time around. I have been trying to get plenty of kits ready to sell, along with preparing my table and class. If I'm missing during the event, it's because I'm in the office taking a nap! This is another school layout kit for the event. I kept this layout rather simple. I like the muted colors and the banner. This layout could definitely hold even more photos, but I was satisfied with the four that I chose. These pictures are from Lauren's first day of school last week. (Hello, I am working on pictures from only a week ago! That's huge!) She is loving school once again, and I'm hearing all about her friends (and what they are wearing). I purposely chose the title, "School Days," so that this layout could be used for photos from any time during the school year, rather than just the first day. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces on Saturday! I hope my kits don't disappoint!

Back to School kit

2011-09-12T10:56:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year once again! Lauren started school last Friday. While I'm thankful she's back and we're headed for a more consistent routine, I'm reminded of how quickly time seems to be passing. These are photos from Lauren's first day of school last year. She looks so little. At the time, I was nervous about sending her, but I desperately needed a little time to care for a very tiny 1-month-old Madeline. In the end, it was the best decision. Lauren blossomed at school. She loved her teacher, her music teacher, her friends and all of the great activities that she got to participate in. She's back again this year, attending three mornings a week. This kit was for the first Kit Crop that I held at my home last Friday. I based this layout on a sketch from Page Maps 2 by Becky Fleck. The paper is from Simple Stories, courtesy of MemoryWorks. I tried to create a look that would work for a preschooler or a high schooler. It seems like school layouts often look very young. I tried hard for a more mature kit, and this paper was the right choice! There are a limited number of these kits available for Scrap Happy. Check back later this week for another school kit!

Girl time kit

2011-09-08T13:01:00.001-05:00

As summer comes to an end, I look back at this layout and instantly smile. We had a girl's night back in July that will not be soon forgotten. Our friend and babysitter, Christina, helped us out again this summer. She was a lifesaver last summer when I was on bed rest, and both girls adore her now. I kept telling her that we were going to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate her graduation and upcoming college move. In July, we made our way to the restaurant ready for fun and great food. This layout looks deceptively simple, but don't be fooled! It takes quite a while to ink and assemble all of those flowers. I love the way the color pops off the black background. I normally don't reach for my black cardstock for a background, but this layout is making me reconsider. I used Echo Park's Country Drive collection, courtesy of MemoryWorks. This layout is for Scrap Happy, which is coming very soon! The photos are 6"x 4", 4"x 4" (2), 3"x 4" (2).

Scrap Happy Class layout: Travel

2011-09-05T19:39:00.000-05:00

In a few weeks, I'll be teaching a class at Scrap Happy about using divided page protectors. I am such a fan of this type of scrapbooking. I have utilized this method for Madeline's baby album, as well as Project Life. For this project, I started with 3 pieces of patterned paper from Simple Stories, courtesy of MemoryWorks, and 2 pieces of cardstock. The end result is not one, but two double page layouts that took almost no time at all to whip up. All of the pieces are perfectly sized for divided protectors, and they are all double-sided, so you get a bonus design on the back, ready for your layout. I have so many vacation photos; I will never get to scrapping all of them. Add in all of the photos that the professional photographer took on the beach, and I'm up to my ears in pictures. This was a quick way to scrap 12 photos in under an hour, and the end result looks like I've spent so much more time than that. I absolutely love Simple Stories. I can't wait to share more layouts using their products very, very soon!

Are we there yet? kit

2011-09-01T21:21:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun playing with the colors on this layout. We spent this past weekend at the waterpark, and the colors in our hotel room match this paper almost exactly. This is a kit that I have created for the September kit crop next Friday. I've used papers by Bo Bunny from the Ad Lib collection, courtesy of MemoryWorks. (I am working on two more kits from this same paper collection and having a blast! I can't wait to share them!) This color combination just makes the layout pop over and over again. We took the girls on a mini-vacation, assuming that most kids are now back in school. Our gamble was correct; the water park was less than half full. We had a fantastic time. Lauren is quite the brave swimmer at this point. She did some of the big tube slides with Adam and I, and she loved swimming in the pools. Madeline enjoyed the lazy river, but she was not very cooperative when it came time to sleep. Thank goodness it was only one night! We came home tired but happy. I have more great kits to share next week, including the layouts from the class I'll be teaching at Scrap Happy. Enjoy the long weekend!

Princess in Training Kit

2011-08-29T20:39:00.000-05:00

Scrap Happy is rapidly approaching, so I am finishing up the kits for both this event and the upcoming kit crop that I am hosting. This particular layout is one that I've had in my head for a long, long time. I even cut some of the pieces before we moved back in May. When I pulled everything out last week, searching for my notes, I was left scratching my head and muttering, "What was I thinking?" The end result is slightly different from what I sketched many months ago, but I love it just the same. I had a lot of princess pictures from our Disney trip, and I knew that I wanted one layout devoted to them. Lauren was so, so excited to see Cinderella. When we turned the corner in the castle and saw her face, Lauren froze. She had this weird smile the rest of the day. I think it was too overwhelming to see the princesses up close and personal! I used a lot of foam adhesive to make the little details pop, like the triangles on the castle and the circles on the crown. The photos on this layout measure: 4"x 6", 4"x 4" (3), 4"x 3", 5"x 4" and 6"x 4". The papers are Echo Park from their Little Girl line. Check back later this week for another great kit!

Picnic Time kit...

2011-08-25T09:03:00.002-05:00

As I write this post, it looks like it is shaping up to be the perfect weekend for another picnic. We are trying to take advantage of every 80 degree day while we can! After our long week of the stomach flu, we decided to head to a nearby park for a picnic lunch, playing and some splashing. I don't think anyone actually ate much lunch (our stomachs were still a little shaky), but we had a great time and all attempted to eat some ice cream. This was one of the best Saturdays of the summer, by far! It ended up pouring buckets the rest of the day, but it didn't matter, because we had an amazing hour or two of memories. This layout is made with Echo Park's Country Drive collection, courtesy of MemoryWorks. This kit will be available at Scrap Happy, which is coming up in September. If you follow my blog at all, you know I love color, as evidenced by this layout! I like how the outer paper mimics a picnic blanket. Go enjoy the weekend!

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-08-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

So today is my special day. Lauren greeted me bright and early, ready for cake and presents. She keeps asking, "Who is coming today? Who is bringing you presents?" I laughed and tried to explain that when you are an adult, birthdays aren't quite the same as when you are a kid. So far, my day has been great though. I spent Saturday at the Scrapbook Expo while Adam watched the girls, and he surprised me this morning with this! (see the bottom photo!) I am so, so looking forward to seeing the FedEx truck with my package. I can't wait to play. I got to play with the Cricut 2 at CHA and was toying with buying one. He made the decision for me! The layout above is from a digital StoryTeller's Club class that I took at the Expo. (I also helped in a Quick Quotes class, but I haven't completed the layouts yet.) While I enjoyed the digital class, it was a little more beginner than I expected. I am looking forward to a week of free downloads of digital materials though! The Expo itself was busy (and freezing!), but the industry has changed a lot. I went looking for Cricut cartridges and Sizzix dies, only to find almost none. I did walk away with some great cardstock deals. It seems like there were more and more laser die cut companies than before, along with page kits and cards and a lot of "dollar" booths. I had fun walking around, shopping and chatting with my friend Lori. We ran into a lot of familiar faces too. It was a great day! Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I am going to enjoy my cake and some Mexican food later today!

Summer kit...

2011-08-19T10:30:00.000-05:00

This is the first kit for my September Kit Crop. Each month, I'm hosting a Friday night crop in my basement. This crop is unique because I'll supply the layouts to be completed! I plan on having each person choose 3 of the 4 layouts to complete. I had so much fun with this clothesline and the little swimsuits! The picture doesn't do it justice. I used the 100 Days of Summer line from Simple Stories, courtesy of MemoryWorks. I love pool pictures; I think it's the great color combination with the water and the subjects. In these pictures, it was so sunny that Lauren and Madeline wouldn't look directly at the camera. I decided to go ahead and use them anyway, and I did a little creative cropping. It just shows that you don't need the "perfect" photo to tell the story. The photos are 4"x 6" (2), 4"x 3" (2) and 5"x 4".

You are my sunshine kit...

2011-08-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

I've made this layout twice--once for Lauren and once for Madeline. I sing the song to both of them, so there is plenty of sunshine to go around! Madeline looks so adorable in her little yellow outfit that she reminds me of sunshine. We had a lot of one on one time when Lauren went to stay with my parents for a few days. Madeline didn't mind being the center of attention one bit! I snapped quite a few photos of her performing her latest tricks. This is another kit for Scrap Happy in September. I used the 100 Days of Summer paper again, courtesy of MemoryWorks. I decided to add circles on the layout to mimic the look of small suns. I also love using the various die cuts and journaling blocks that are included with this line of paper. This layout just makes me smile!

Just Chillin' kit

2011-08-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

This layout seems rather appropriate today, because I have been pushing popsicles on Lauren all week. We have a bad stomach bug, and no matter how much Lysol I've used, we can't seem to beat it just yet. So, this post will be short and sweet, because I barely have the energy to type at this point. This is another kit that I created for the Staycation event. It will probably be used for Scrap Happy now. I had a collection of summery photos from the weekend before we moved into our new home. I separated these from the photos in my previous post because these also feature my parents and my brother. My brother was a huge help during the whole moving process (my parents were too, but Nick gets the MVP award!). He moved things, put things together and got down on the floor and played with the girls. I even managed to get a few shots of him playing on our old swingset! This paper is so cheery and colorful that the popsicles literally jump off the page at you. I just created a simple grid and had fun embellishing. All of the photos on this layout are 3"x 4" (6 in all), 3"x 3" and 3"x 5". So, grab a popsicle and chill!

The Great Outdoors kit...

2011-08-08T10:39:00.001-05:00

So I've been working at a frantic pace to finish kits for an upcoming event. I found out this weekend that the event was cancelled. In some ways, I'm way ahead now! That's definitely a good thing. After the last Scrap Happy, my entire kit supply was wiped out. On the other hand, I'm disappointed. I was so, so looking forward to a scrapping weekend away! I'd been planning for this weekend since the beginning of June, and it was going to be a nice little break for me after a week of VBS. Anyways, I'm sharing a kit today called, "The Great Outdoors." This layout is really simple, and it could easily be changed to a camping page. I layered a lot of the elements with dimensional adhesive. I chose a group of photos taken in the backyard of our old house. We had a lot of fun playing there in the weeks before our move. I just love the picture of Lauren hanging on the swing! The photos in this post are 4"x 6" (2), 6" x 4", 4"x 3" and 3"x 3" (2).

Independence Day Kit

2011-08-04T09:09:00.002-05:00

Circles, circles everywhere! This is a kit that I created for the upcoming "Staycation" event that I'll be attending in Bradley, IL. I used this beautiful Bo Bunny paper, courtesy of MemoryWorks, to create this layout. The paper was actually in a 6"x 6" pad, so I had to be creative with a smaller size. I ended up using dimensional adhesive to make the stars and a few of the circles pop off the page. I love how the title is also following the circle them. I took these pictures of the girls this past 4th of July. In my journaling, I just described how grateful I feel to live in this country where men and women give their lives daily for our safety. I only hope my little girls will realize how truly blessed they are with freedom.

Happy Birthday to my sweet girl!

2011-08-01T09:14:00.001-05:00

One year old...It's gone by so fast and so slow at the same time! I hardly remember that little dark-haired bundle; I just remember the enormous relief, hearing her cry after many months of a scary pregnancy. I have documented all of her firsts. And I've worried; oh, how I have worried about this one. I thought you were supposed to be more relaxed the second time around, but Madeline seems more fragile to me because of all of the issues with her head, neck and hips. Don't tell her that though! She is a daredevil, ready to dive down stairs or climb anything. She would move mountains to get Lauren's attention. She makes us laugh everyday. She is cautiously trying to walk. And watch out if she's pushing her baby stroller--she takes no prisoners. You will be run over! Juggling two kids has been a learning experience, but I don't think I'd change one sleepless moment of it. It has been so amazing to watch my two girls interact and genuinely love each other. I'm embracing these moments, because I know that they won't get along like this forever! Happy 1st Birthday, Madeline! We love you so much!

This is a digital template, sized 12"x 24". When I have it printed at Costco, I'll crop it into two 12"x 12" layouts. I made a similar layout in Madeline's baby album using divided page protectors and 4"x 6" photos each month. Having month after month laid out like this makes quite an impact! It's amazing how these little ones change so much, so quickly!

Us at 1

2011-07-29T09:14:00.003-05:00

Our week of celebration continues. I am sorting through so many pictures of Madeline from the last year, and I can't believe how much she has changed. I have been wanting to make a layout like this for quite awhile. I love comparing all of our photos at the same age. Everyone comments on Madeline's hair, followed by who she looks like. I decided to put their theories to the test. Here, she definitely resembles Adam, but I see a little of both of us in there. It's hard to believe that little blondie started out with almost black hair less than a year ago! Like I said, she has changed so much! I can't wait to see what the next year brings. I have one more digital layout to share next week, and then, I promise, I have quite a few kits to share. I've been working on a lot all at once, so it's taken awhile to get the finished product ready to go!

The Big Ten

2011-07-25T21:32:00.000-05:00

This week is always party-palooza in the Wahl household. We have 5 birthdays within two weeks, one of which is Madeline's first birthday. Adam and I also have a major milestone this year: it is our tenth wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe we've been married for a decade! We look so young (and thin) in these photos. Our wedding day truly feels like a lifetime ago. I've gone through our wedding album quite a bit lately, as Lauren is obsessed with being a bride. I'm thankful we have so many photos of the day, although I wish digital cameras were around back then. All of my personal snapshots were taken on a little disposable camera. My wedding scrapbook was the first scrapbook that I ever made for myself. I look at it now and cringe. I'd love to tear into it and start over, but I won't let myself. It's good to see mistakes, progress; it's also good to know that I had all of the negatives from our photographer put onto a dvd. So, I get to play with the images from time to time, like on this digital layout. I titled this post, "The Big Ten," as a play on words. We have been out of college ten years. "Ten" is also my word of the year for my Ali Edwards class. For this week though, "ten" is a reflection of all of the ups and downs that life and marriage can bring. Here's hoping for many, many more years. I know I can face whatever comes my way with Adam by my side.

CHA Highlights and classes posted!

2011-07-21T09:37:00.007-05:00

I am such a lucky girl! I spent Tuesday morning at CHA in Rosemont, drooling over all the new scrapbook goodies that are headed to the stores for the fall and winter. I've decided to share pictures of a few of my favorites, starting with Simple Stories. They have an amazing Christmas line coming out (along with 3 other lines!), and I'm already planning a Christmas class to go along with it.

Yes, that's Tim Holtz! I watched him demo his new dies and embossing folders for Sizzix! Their booth was amazing, as always. They have some great new jewelry items that can be embossed, similar to the table below, which was made from metal scraps and a round piece of wood. Love it! I need it in my house!

This last photo is from the Doodlebug booth. They always have an adorable set-up, and this show was no exception. I just fell in love with these little elves that are part of their Christmas collection. I took many, many more photos, but these are my favorites for now.

I will be starting classes in my home in the fall. I've listed dates on the side of my blog. I'm very excited to hold "Kit Crops," where participants will complete 3 double page layouts in an evening. I have been busy planning, cutting and die cutting (and I did an amazing make'n'take at Provo Craft where I played with the Cricut 2 for a long time; it might be going on the birthday wish list!). Stay cool! And, I promise, more layouts next week!

Busy Bee

2011-07-18T08:02:00.002-05:00

I'm working on kits for an event that I'll be attending in August--a scrapbooking "staycation." Since I am now a MemoryWorks consultant, I'm going to be a vendor, have make'n'takes and sell product at this event. I'm very excited, but there aren't enough hours in the day to prepare for this, unpack, take care of my kids and get ready for VBS (which is very soon!). So, this is the first kit that I created using Echo Park's Country Drive papers. They have a summery feel, and I just loved the honeycomb look on this particular patterned paper. My little Madeline is definitely a busy bee. We've had a hard time keeping up with her lately! She is now taking classes at My Gym, just like Lauren. She absolutely loves it, and I enjoy our special time together. I snapped a few pictures during one of her first classes. The bright colors in the gym work well with the papers and border strips that run along either edge of the layout. Be patient as I diligently work on more layouts to share!

You

2011-07-14T07:56:00.001-05:00

This layout is one that I love to make. It is very much inspired by a lot of the work that Ali Edwards does. It is so easy to sit down and jot down a list with the header, "You." Madeline is an especially easy target because she changes almost daily. I haven't been as diligent about noting things in her baby calendar, which is to be expected for the second child, I suppose. So, I just jotted down some things that she is doing today. It captures a lot of her personality on one little page. I have so many random, everyday pictures, and this is the perfect use for some of those. I used a great digital kit called, "Spunky Me" by Misty Cato, along with a template by Cathy Zielske. The best part of this layout? I made it while I was laying in bed, watching a movie with Lauren. It was quick with zero mess, which is good because it is still rather difficult to navigate in my craft room!

Home...

2011-07-12T13:08:00.000-05:00

After a busy summer of moving, decorating, etc., I wanted to make a page to reflect on our old home. We lived there for 6 years, and I guess I didn't realize how emotional it would be to say good-bye. This was the first house we'd ever owned, and we shed a lot of blood, sweat and tears working on the landscaping, painting the house and fixing the basement. It was also where we brought both of our girls home from the hospital. We made a home there, first as a couple, and then as a family of four. I am liking our new home more everyday, but this house on Fairmont will always hold a special place in my heart. This layout was actually a kit from a QVC bundle years ago. I changed it slightly, which is what I usually do with a kit! I also added the few pops of red on the layout, because I thought it needed a little more color. I have a feeling that this page will be an important one, because Madeline will not remember her first home. Now, I have it documented to share with her.

11 months old

2011-07-06T22:19:00.000-05:00

This month was full of major changes for Madeline (and the rest of the family!). We moved to a new house. Then, Madeline had four teeth try to break through at once. She was also sick for over a week. Throughout all this, she has been standing, cruising and trying to take a few steps. And, if it's ever a little too quiet, you know that Madeline is either climbing the stairs unattended or is playing in the toilet. I have yet to capture a picture of the whole toilet experience, but I used to laugh when I saw those toilet locks at the baby stores. Lauren never even noticed the bathroom, so we really didn't baby proof anything. Madeline is a totally different, adventurous child! Her favorite thing to say is, "Hi!" Although she's also saying "mama," "dada," and "yay." She cheers for herself when she stands alone and usually loses her balance because of her extreme pride. It's quite funny to watch. And, the biggest change has come at mealtime. Madeline is completely in control of a sippy cup now. She doesn't even seem to miss her bottle, other than first thing in the morning. I can't believe that I'm wrapping up her first year album. I'm so glad I was able to plan ahead and finish the entire album before she was born, now I only need to print some pictures and fill in the blanks. That's about all I can handle this summer!

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T08:57:00.001-05:00

Supplies: 2009 Calendar by Dani Mogstad

Flower girl...

2011-06-30T20:06:00.000-05:00

Lately, Lauren's favorite "Let's Pretend" game is a full-fledged wedding. She dresses up in her Cinderella gown and veil; she has a box with two rings. She even picked out a bouquet at Michaels. Then, we go through an abbreviated ceremony and reception, complete with smashing cake in each other's faces. It will make a great scrapbook page, but in the meantime, I'll share another wedding page that features Lauren. She was the flower girl in my sister's wedding in the fall of 2009. She looks so tiny in these pictures. She did an amazing job at the wedding, and she danced her little heart out at the reception, despite a miserable cold. This layout is adapted from a kit from Lott's to Scrap About. I kept things very symmetrical and balanced. I wanted to keep the focus on the photos in the middle, while playing with the flowers and title on the outer edges. A happy page for a happy memory!

First tooth...

2011-06-26T21:33:00.000-05:00

We haven't had a lot of sleep in the Wahl household lately. We moved, both girls have been sick, and Madeline has four (yes, FOUR!) little teeth trying to break through on her top gum. While we've been through the whole teething deal with Lauren (times 20), we are still amateurs in the whole teething game. Lauren didn't get any teeth until she was 14 months old, so when Madeline's first tooth broke through the bottom gum, we were in shock and denial. Lauren chewed and drooled her way through her whole first year. Everyone would say, "Oh, she's teething," and every time, they were wrong. So, we could hardly believe that when Madeline started chewing and drooling excessively, a tooth erupted! I made this digital page to chronicle this little milestone in her life. Lucky her--it broke through on St. Patrick's day!

Little Me...

2011-06-20T04:40:00.002-05:00

Most people say that the girls look just like Adam. I hear it all the time. While he's a wonderful husband and father, I can't help but feel a little hurt sometimes after hearing yet another person say the girls are a spitting image of their dad. I guess I feel like I put in quite a bit of effort with difficult pregnancies, so I deserve some vague resemblance. That being said, Lauren definitely is like me in so many ways. She is extremely detail oriented, compassionate, creative and crafty. A lot of times, her stubbornness drives me crazy, but I have to laugh, knowing she learned from the best. Madeline's personality is still developing, but I think Adam knows he's in trouble with his three girls! We are all very much alike, even if our appearances aren't. I created this layout using only Paper Studio products from Hobby Lobby. I had fun playing with all of the borders and stickers, and it took minimal effort!

Lucky me...

2011-06-14T15:37:00.000-05:00

This is shaping up to be another one post week in blogland. I am busy unpacking and trying to find everything in our new house. I will definitely share photos of my new craft space soon. It's beautiful and empty right now, just waiting for me to mess it up with all of my goodies. This was a quick layout from an old Lisa Bearnson kit. I put it together in about 20 minutes while at the crop at CKC. These photos are from this past St. Patrick's day. We spent the morning in Lauren's music class, sporting all of our green apparel. We celebrated later with a Shamrock shake. I am so very blessed to have these little girls in my life. Lucky me!

Matching pjs...

2011-06-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

Life is rather hectic as we are moving this week, so I'll just share one quick post. This layout is based on another sketch from Sketch Support. I used one sheet of patterned paper, cut it into strips, and then wrinkled all the edges for this effect along the side of the photos. I'll definitely be utilizing this technique again--scrap happy layouts, maybe?? For now, I'm dreaming of a day where we can all hang out in our pjs, minus the moving boxes. Have a great week, and don't float away after all this rain!

60 & surprised!

2011-06-02T20:14:00.000-05:00

Adam's mom celebrated her 60th birthday last year shortly after Madeline was born. All of her siblings flew in to surprise her at a party in Chicago. Adam and Lauren went to the party, while I stayed home. I'd just been released from the hospital after having Madeline! Debby was surprised, to say the least; Lauren talked about Grandma Debby crying for weeks. She also talked about the cake. :) I used a card sketch and cupcake sketch for parts of this layout (sketch support website). I love this line of paper from Rusty Pickle, and I felt it complemented the pictures quite well. Gotta love those glasses that Debby is sporting!

My little bug

2011-05-31T04:03:00.001-05:00

This week, I'll share a few layouts that are based on sketches from the Sketch Support website and Allison Davis. Sketches just make life easier--enough said! I had fun playing off of the colorful polka dots on Madeline's shirt in these pictures, matching Echo Park paper to them. Madeline can be such a little stinker at times, and I hope I'm capturing enough of her personality to spark these memories later. We have had so many nicknames for her, and I wanted to make a page to record a few of them. Since I made this layout, Lauren has come up with, "Boo boo" and "Babe," to add to our list. But to me, she's my little (stink) bug.

Yes, it's a Chickfila Layout!

2011-05-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

You had to be expecting this at some point! I'm sure some are laughing while others roll their eyes. The opening of Chick-fil-a was a big deal in the Wahl household. People camped out in tents for a week in the parking lot, in hopes of getting free chicken for a year. We went several times the week of the grand opening, and they ran the drive thru lines smoother than Disney World! At our first visit, Lauren was surprised because she was expecting an actual waffle in her kid's meal. We tried to explain that waffle fries are just shaped like waffles, but they don't taste like them! Now, we usually have Chick-fil-a once a week, after My Gym (because they are next to each other). Rumor has it, a new restaurant may be opening even closer to us... I can't get enough of those nuggets and sweet tea!

Bunny Brunch

2011-05-23T04:55:00.002-05:00

I am in spring mode, so I wanted to make a layout with some great spring colors. The papers, flowers and borders are from Little Yellow Bicycle, and they fit perfectly with pictures from this past Easter. I love their fabric borders, and I've layered several here. We had a busy Easter Sunday, starting with hunting eggs and a warm pancake breakfast. We went to church for an amazing service and saw 8 baptisms! 8! It was amazing. After that, we headed to Chicago for brunch with Adam's family. All in all, it was a great day. And I'm hoping that spring is finally here to stay!

Basic Grey class: Part 2

2011-05-19T09:54:00.001-05:00

These are the second set of four layouts that I created at CKC-St. Louis in the Basic Grey class. For this layout, we used an amazing product from Simple Stories. Their papers allow you to make quick albums using divided page protectors. Or, as in this case, perfect 4"x 6" photo mats. I changed this layout slightly, so that it would work with vertical photos and had a little more embellishing to it. These photos are from a chilly fall day in Chicago. We were in the midst of all of the issues with Madeline's head and neck, and we were overwhelmed to say the least. We picked up and headed to the city for the day, which is so not like me. I like to plan, organize, make lists and pack, especially with a little baby in tow. However, this was exactly what we all needed--a spontaneous trip, followed by a carriage ride on the lakefront. I will always remember this special day.

For the final layout, I had fun playing with the colorful birthday papers. All of the presents have varying levels of foam adhesive, making them pop off the page. Lauren is old enough to be in birthday party mode with her friends. This was a pajama party at her friend Katey's house. She loved the pancakes and the donut cake. She still sleeps with her mask on sometimes! I just felt that the happy colors on this patterned paper really matched up with the joyous (sugar-induced?) smiles on all of the faces in the pictures. Have a great weekend!

Basic Grey class: Part 1

2011-05-16T04:30:00.007-05:00

This is my 200th post! Wow! That is hard to believe! Now, on to the layouts...

I took a great class on Saturday at CKC called, "Latest & Greatest with Basic Grey." Apparently, it has quite a following, because most of the people sitting near me had taken the class previous years. This was another class where we created four single page layouts in an hour, with the option of buying the additional pages to create double page layouts. I added more photos than the original layout showed, but otherwise, I pretty much stuck to the class design. I love this paper from Basic Grey (actually, all of the lines!), but I especially love the little package of flowers that came with the kit. They were a mix of fabric, paper, canvas, etc. I layered them to create great flowers. I finally made a layout to celebrate Madeline's birth. I had been looking at these photos for ages, and then tucking them right back in my photo box, because I just didn't have the right layout or paper or idea. Here, they just fit. When I look at these photos from the hospital, I barely recognize Madeline. She looks nothing like these photos! It's hard to believe she has changed so much. It is nice to be able to look back at this layout and feel a huge sense of relief--the pregnancy is over, the beginning stages are past, the sleep deprivation is ending (for the most part). Now, I can just enjoy my baby girl.

I was so, so excited when I saw this paper. My first thought was...wedding layout. I have some wedding photos that need a home, and I was sure this was the layout for them. Then, I stumbled across our family Christmas photos. The red, black and white was a perfect fit. I made my own flowers from black cardstock and changed the photo configuration slightly. This is perfect evidence that Madeline looks nothing like her baby photos, and this was even back in November! Now she is mostly blonde and all curls. I didn't even realize that I had created two layouts showing our family of four until I wrote this post! How quickly time passes and children grow. This is a subtle reminder for me to take a breath and enjoy my kids. God's little way of making me pause, I guess. Happy Monday!

15 Minute Layouts: Part 2

2011-05-15T20:30:00.000-05:00

These are the final two layouts from the class I took at CKC-St. Louis called, "15 Minute Layouts." Again, these were single page layouts that I altered a bit and created double page versions. I love the color combination on this first layout. It just makes me smile; maybe it's the cheery yellow or the daisy...I'm not sure, but I like it. These pictures are from one of the first spring-like days we had in April. It seems like April was very, very rainy, so we took advantage of every nice day that we could. Adam and I took the girls to the school playground, where they had a blast swinging, climbing and sliding. Lauren's legs are finally long enough to pedal her Big Wheel, so I had to snap a photo of that too. I've also been very fond of the top-down shooting for my pictures lately. It's a nice angle for almost any photo, and the playground equipment made it very easy for me to get above the girls and shoot some pictures.

For this final layout, I chose pictures of the girls in their bright pajamas. Lauren had pajama day at school in April, and she was so excited that she decided to wear her pajamas all day long. Madeline wore hers as well, out of solidarity (or Mommy's laziness?). There's just something about kiddos in their pajamas that is hard to resist. I snapped photos throughout the day of my little pj pals...everything from lunch, to peek-a-boo, to riding around, to Kool-aid mustaches. These are the types of pages and pictures that I love the most, just the everyday "normal" in our house. I'll share some great Basic Grey pages next week...see you then!

15 Minute Layouts: Part 1

2011-05-09T05:14:00.004-05:00

The first class I took at CKC-St. Louis was called "15 Minute Layouts." We made four one page layouts in an hour using a packet of Echo Park paper. That night, I attended the CK crop, where I turned all four layouts into double page layouts. Here are two of them!

I changed the background cardstock for this first layout and added my own embellishments. These photos are from our trip to Chicago right after Christmas. We wanted to take my brother-in-law to the Museum of Science and Industry, along with every other Illinois resident that day! We ended up sitting in traffic, in full view of the museum, for over an hour and a half, barely making any progress. In the end, we decided to skip the museum and go to the Hancock building and have some lunch. We made the best of it! I took the amazing picture of the city from the women's restroom in the Hancock building--it has a great view!

For this second layout, I had a very, very large pile of pictures of Lauren at the park. She loves being outside and going to the various playgrounds within walking distance. I decided to choose my favorites, regardless of which trip they came from, and made a compilation layout. I have pictures from different years included, so you can really see how much Lauren grew and changed with each visit. It was nice to be able to get through an entire stack of pictures and throw the rest away. Yes, you read it correctly, I threw the rest away! I am only keeping the very best photos, and the rest are all backed up on dvds. No guilt! Check back later this week for the remaining two layouts. Have I mentioned how much I love Echo Park paper? So much color!!

Finally, layouts from CKC!

2011-05-06T04:48:00.003-05:00

It has been a crazy month or so, and it's about to get even crazier around here! I was so busy with Scrap Happy (which was a HUGE success), that I didn't get to share anything about CKC. So, for the next two weeks, I'll be sharing layouts I created there. I took a lot of classes, but they were mostly classes to get pages done, rather than learn new techniques. This is a digital layout I made as a summary of my weekend. Sadly, I don't have a single picture of myself! That's okay though, I still made a layout. I'm focusing on the memory, whether I have the "perfect" photos or not. My family went to St. Louis all the time when I was growing up. So, the drive to the convention made me reminisce quite a bit. I even made a pit stop in Litchfield at an old bakery because it was where we always went with my grandparents on our way to St. Louis. I had such a great time. I indulged in room service, a movie and loads of scrapping and shopping time. It was just a nice break from the everyday. And it was so nice to be alone, with my own giant bed! I can't wait to attend next year! Check back next week for the first set of layouts from the "15 minute pages" class that I took.

Scrapbooking.com -- Article - Fathers

2011-05-04T08:11:00.002-05:00

Check out my Father's Day layout in the May issue of Scrapbooking.com online magazine!

Scrapbooking.com -- Article - Fathers

9 months old!

2011-05-02T04:24:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Madeline hit the 9 month mark. I almost have to stop and catch my breath, because I can't believe she is nine months old! Where did the time go? Madeline is so funny lately (when she's not teething!). She is crawling everywhere. Sometimes she pokes along, but if there's a remote control or one of Lauren's toys in the vicinity, she is like a bolt of lightning. Her latest trick is to crawl over and mess with the surround sound while Lauren tries to watch a show. She waves hello, goodbye and night-night (she actually tells us when she wants to go to bed...now if she'd only stay in bed a little longer!), and she says, "I love Mama," in her own little baby gibberish. She also yells, "All done," which sounds a lot like when I yell, "Adam!" She covers herself with her blanket and plays peek-a-boo. She is trying to pull up to stand everywhere. She is a busy, busy girl. I'm almost afraid of what the next month will bring, especially with a big move and new house looming in the future. All in all, it's been a fun month, one of the best yet. This little girl is going to love crawling around outside, assuming spring decides to show up for good!

Scrap Happy Kit #6: All About Me

2011-04-28T03:07:00.001-05:00

First off, I realize this will probably not be the most popular kit. It doesn't have a lot of flash or bling. Surprisingly, it took the longest to create and assemble. Most scrapbookers don't make pages about themselves. It's so much easier to scrap about events, kids, pets, etc. However, I got to thinking about my mom. I would love to see a layout like this about her when she was the age that I am right now. I'd love to see her thoughts and dreams and favorite things. I'm lucky, because I can ask her all these things now, but it would be fun (and possibly reassuring?) to see inside her world when my siblings and I were little. There are days when I don't know how she did it. Raising two little ones has been a true test of my patience and perseverance. I didn't feel comfortable just snapping photos of myself, so I brought Lauren in on the fun. I enjoyed answering all of the little questions too (even though I came up with them). The countdown has begun! Hopefully I will see some of you at Scrap Happy on Saturday. The prizes, raffle items and swap items are amazing!!

Scrap Happy Kit #5: Snow Day

2011-04-25T03:01:00.001-05:00

I'm hoping that spring is here to stay. That being said, I made a snow layout for Scrap Happy. Go figure. Actually, I had a request for a snow layout from one of our attendees. That got me thinking--between this event and the last one, we had a major blizzard. If you're anything like me, you photographed said blizzard to no end. What else did you have to do, other than sit inside? I distressed all of the edges on the paper strips, inking the edges after I was finished. It gives a bit of dimension to the layout and really draws your eye in. I didn't realize how difficult it was to scrap photos that don't have people in them! I guess I don't do it very often, because I really struggled. I did manage to sneak in a photo of Adam shoveling though. Check back on Thursday for the last layout before the big day!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T00:00:00.000-05:00