The One with The Cutest Little Boy in the World Layout

I made something for the American Crafts blog today! You'll have to click HERE to see the layout in it's entirety, but perhaps I can entice you with these sneaky sneaks:

The theme of the week is Barcode Strips - instead of throwing the thin strips of paper at the bottoms of layouts away, now they've got patterns on them so there's a whole plethora of creative uses for them! I weaved like 40 of these barcode strips together, trimmed them into a heart, and used it for my background of pictures of the cutest little boy in the world. That would be Fox :)

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The One with a Fox Photoshoot

Sick of seeing my baby yet? If you are, sorry Charlie, if you aren't - SPLENDID! I sat Fox on the grassy patch in our parking lot and snapped away.

But MOOOOM! I don't wanna take pictures! I just wanna play with this twig!

I think he's been sucking on his pacifier too much... his tongue is permanently out... tell me it's just a phase?

Li'l stinker.

Happy go lucky.

Gettin' artistic.

Mr. Drooly!

The backdrop up close.

I just had to jump in on one.

Or two :)

Caught mid-sneeze!

He's such a cute buggah.

And he's done.

Thus concludes my photoshoot with Fox.

The end.

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The One with Babies Don't Keep

This is my quote for the day. I'm shirking my household duties to spend time with Fox.

It's so true. Babies don't keep. Fox is a giant compared to when he was first born. Where did that time go? The messy house can wait. Cuz every day Fox is growing and learning new things that I'm missing out on because I'm too preoccupied with other lesser important things (I'm lookin' at you Facebook and Google Reader and Pinterest and Twitter!). Instead of washing the dishes or wiping off the counters or vacuuming the floors or spending hours on end on the computer, I'm going to hold him and snuggle him and give him smooches and tell him that I love him.

Updated to add: My Grandma Doris just sent me an email with a story similar to this quote: I read a piece in Readers Digest once called, THE DAY WE FLEW THE KITES, about a woman who needed to clean her house, but took her children out to a hill and flew kites, "Because they will not remember whether the house is clean or not, but they will always remember the day we flew the kites."

Exactly!!!

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The One with the 100% Pink Card

Every Thursday on the Create: Blog I issue a CARDS challenge and showcase about 25 cards from the previous week's challenge. Sometimes I play along, like today! The challenge was to create a card using 100% pink materials. I have a little bit of white on my card, my bad...

LOVE

Notes: The original Karate Kid movie was playing in the background while I made this card. I only watched this movie for the first time a few months ago via Netflix instant play and now I'm hooked. "Wax on. Wax off. Wax on. Wax off." It was filmed several locations not too far from our apartment so maybe one day we'll go on a "Karate Kid safari."

These CARDS challenges are for anyone living anywhere with all kinds of skill levels - so give it a whirl :)

How to: Create a 4" square card base from light pink cardstock. Die cut concentric flowers from a variety of pink patterned papers, crumple each flower, layer them together smallest to biggest, then attach them to the center of the card with a pink pearl brad set through the middle (I had to poke a hole through all the layers with a paper piercer first). Accent the largest flower with five pink jewels spaced at even intervals. Place an "L" chipboard letter sticker before the pearl brad and "VE" chipboard letter stickers after so the brad becomes the "O" in the sentiment. Tie a small bow from thin satin light pink picot ribbon and adhere it above the pearl brad.

Supplies: Cardstock, patterned paper, pearl brad, chipboard letter stickers, ribbon, adhesive: American Crafts; Jewels: Doodlebug Design; Die cut machine: Cuttlebug by Provo Craft; Flower dies: Nestabilities by Spellbinders Paper Arts; Paper cutter, scissors: Fiskars

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The One with I Just Started Using Pinterest

I jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon this morning (thanks Holly - and everyone else who sent me a link - 'preciate it most sincerely!) cuz I'm tired of saving lovely/beautiful/inspiring images and then not remembering where I found them to give them credit and what not!

Problemo solved with Pinterest.

But even then, I still want to share some things I've found here on the bliggity blog :)

Simply gorgeous pillows from Ashley Ann's bedroom.

I don't know where I found this - see, this is why Pinterest is genius. It's a lovely scrap fabric wreath and I want to make one.

Mixed media streamers via RUCHE. Made of tulle, cotton fabric, coffee filters, and confetti streamers. I would love to dangle them from a tree and have a fun photoshoot.

Love this.

Saw this amazing floor on Design Sponge once upon a time. Who wants a plain ol' boring floor when you can have a PATTERNED floor?

From the oh-so-talented-and-hip-and-business-savvy-mom-and-I-don't-know-how-she-does-it-all Princess Lasertron.

Dern-it-all I don't know where I found this! But I want to design one for Fox's room!

Swooning over these luscious antique doors.

Radical terrariums via Assembly New York. I really think I might be able to keep succulent plants (is that what these are?) alive for more than a few weeks! Now it's just a matter of scraping up the dough cuz these cost a pretty penny...

This is such a pretty painting. I fancy it. Wish I knew who made it...

I'd like to try my hand at creating a cross-stitch or whatever this kind of sewing is called.

My dad sent me this. LOL. Can you imagine trying to eat all that frosting? I bet Adam from Man vs Food could do it.

Reyanna I think you sent me a link to this - do you still have the origins? They're pretty play mats!

I took this photo myself so I know where it came from! It was a GAP ad I saw in the window of their Pasadena store a few months ago and it's the coolest way I've ever seen clothes displayed in an ad. Bright colors = so me!

More gorgeous pillows. And check out the funktacular pink rug!

I'd like to implement this design on a scrapbooking layout and instead of using fabric I'd use patterned paper.

I know we've got awhile until Fox has his own big-boy bed, but seriously, how cute are these beds from Matrix Online? I don't know if we'd ever see him again, he'd stay in and around his bed all day!

Genius and cheap way to store ribbon! Mine is all stuffed into freezer bags where it's out of sight, out of mind. This way they're paper-clipped up by color on rings and very easily accessible - just trim what you need and go!

This is just a screen shot so I have absolutely no idea where it came from - blast! But, it's wicked cute and a fun craft that can be done with kids - just find some random magazines or patterned paper, cut, and glue! And at the end of the day you'll have cute and functional gentile reminders.

I'm thinking a trip to the fabric store is in order to get some spools to make one of these!!

It's true, I do love you Mom :) Ransom-note collage made by Susan Farrington. She's got lots of sweet collage-style stuff on her site.

Including this!

Trippy clock.

Such a fun way to display random things!

This picture makes me want to stamp more.

After working at American Crafts for 20 months I learned a thing or two about fonts and which ones are no-no's. Namely, Papyrus and Comic Sans. So this makes me laugh cuz I GET it!

What I wouldn't give to have this headboard!

I love when simple, everyday objects are turned into works of art. Especially when kids can get involved - like with this: painting clothespins!

This would be such a great item to have to store all my random knick-knacks! Where oh where did I find this...

I dig these collages. If you know you made them, lemme know.

These cupcakes look much too beautiful to eat! I want to learn how to make 'em.

And last but certainly not least - I saw this on my soon-to-be sister-in-law's blog (via Utah Bride Blog) and I too wish I had the hair to make this lavish braid - not just for special events but for everyday wear too!

I solemnly swear to never post my inspirational finds without complete links ever again! Thanks to Pinterest, I think that will be possible.

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The One with the Fox-Themed Baby Shower

My friend Katie Clem sent me a link to a fox-themed baby shower (and it looks like the gal is naming her baby Fox? See, it's not THAT weird of a name :) and it was there that I found dozens and dozens if not hundreds of ideas for themed parties. But first, wouldn't this be a cute idea for Fox's first birthday or somethin'?

(All pictures are from Kara's Party Ideas)

So cute right?!? I can have all sorts of fun with foxy things for Fox. I just hope he doesn't grow up and think he's a fox. I mean, he can think he's studly/good lookin', haha, but I don't want him to think he's the animal fox, KWIM?

Kara's Party Ideas is so full of wonderful ideas, I could get lost on her website. I think I've pinned like 20 parties that I want to copy. Good thing I'm helping with V's baby shower in July so I can get crafty and let loose this burst of creative energy I feel coming on! Thanks Katie for the link - let the decked out parties begin!

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