The One with Jane at 1 Year: In Videos

Continuing with celebrating 1 year of Jane - here are my favorite videos from her little life so far (and HERE are Fox's for fun):

Jane admiring herself in the swing mirror:

Jane playing with her first toy:

Fox making Jane laugh by jumping:

Jane laughing. Even now, 7 months later, she still sounds like this when she laughs:

Jane "shark attacking" her toys:

Fox making Jane laugh with pillows:

Jane rolling over:

Jane sitting up:

Jane snort laughing:

Fox and Jane crying at the same time. Oy vey.

Jane laughing at a bouncing ball:

Uncle Eric putting Jane to sleep:

Jane cooling off her hot food:

Jane almost crawling:

Jane's last time at Disneyland:

Jane crawling:

Jane saying "Uh oh!"

Jane pestering Fox:

A final video of Fox making Jane laugh - she laughs for him more than anyone else!

Tomorrow is the big day!

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The One with Jane at 1 Year: In Layouts

Jane is going to be ONE on Sunday! So I thought I'd share all-things Jane over the next few days to celebrate! Starting with 24 layouts I've made for her (See Fox at 1 year in layouts HERE!). Bring on the flowers, glitter, doilies, jewels, PINK, and all-things girly:

WATCH ME GROW

SPARKLE & SHINE

JANE'S SHOWER

PREPARING FOR BABY JANE

FIRST DAYS

I MADE A WISH AND YOU CAME TRUE

OH HELLO LOVELY

SOMETIMES THE SMALLEST THINGS TAKE UP THE MOST SPACE IN OUR HEARTS

JANE'S BABY BLESSING

SUGAR & SPICE

BABY JANE

LITTLE BEAN

PURE GOODNESS

SO SWEET SWEET

HELLO SLEEPING BEAUTY

SERENDIPITY

1ST POOL DIP

PRETTY GIRL

1ST RICE CEREAL

LOVED 

THE CUTEST

TODAY

JANE'S 1ST PASSPORT PHOTO OUTTAKES

JANEY GIRL

 Once I finish her 12 months layout I'll post all 12 of her monthly layouts that have been so fun to make!

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The One with the Housing Update

One of our top priorities upon arriving here in Grafenwöhr was signing up on the housing list. Our friends got here about a week before us and they were told they were #21 on the waiting list. Yiiiiikes. When Chris got us on the list and they wouldn't even tell us how far down we were so I prepped myself to be in this hotel for the long haul. Everyone was telling us to expect to be in the hotel for 6-8 weeks. The hotel on the other hand was telling us 30 days. But the hotel isn't owned by the Army so who knows. 

Last Thursday Chris went with Sergey to the housing office because Sergey was following up with his housing wait and it turned out he had an "offer" - meaning there was a place available. Sergey suggested Chris look and see if he had an offer and lo and behold - he did! HOORAY! It was in Erbendorf so we googled it and right away were a bit dismayed - it's 21 minutes away in good conditions. 

If we've learned anything since being here it's that the winters are going to be abysmal - nothing like we've ever seen. I'm scared. Do I even own a jacket? No! But that is another subject for another day.

After the Gazarov's went and looked at their offered housing, we took the car that Sergey's sponsor so generously has been letting us borrow now and again to go see our housing offer. 

Holy moly it's waaaaaay out in the boonies! 

The drive was one of the prettiest drives I've ever been on in my life. That's a bonus. But there is one part of the road that is pretty much a one lane road, it's that narrow. And then we imagined it in the dark and long and snowy nights of the winter and immediately our hearts sunk - Chris will be on call 24 hours a day and if he has to go into work in the middle of the night, I don't want to worry about him driving on that road. Right away we knew we did not want to be banned to the outskirts of Erbendorf. 

The house was pretty ghetto compared to the ones our friends live at in Netzaberg. It was 4 bedrooms though which was awesome. But the master was in the basement and the bedrooms on the 3rd floor. Not very realistic for such young babies when they're still waking up in the night. And the backyard was definitely lacking and small and angled. 

We marched right back to the housing office and told them no, we want something closer, preferably in Netzaberg. They told us they didn't have anything and to come back on Tuesday or Wednesday to see if anything has opened up. 

I talked with Crystal and the other women in our ward and they suggested to keep trying, to go by myself without Chris, and with cranky kids, so the housing people would have pity on me. 

Monday morning I got to the housing office right as they opened at 8am. I checked in and was immediately called back to talk to a counselor. I explained our situation and asked if there is anything in Netzaberg. She said no and that was that, there's nothing she could do. Poop. She said I could talk to the housing head honcho and I said sure, let's. 

I followed him back to his office and with shaking hands I explained our situation and begged to live in Netzaberg, 5 minutes from the base, close to all of our other dental friends. 

He tapped away at his computer for a long time, glanced over at the computer, then said, "There is a house that will be available to view on or about the 25th - this Thursday."

HECK YES!

Might I add that Chris and I fasted on Sunday and prayed like it was nobody's business all weekend that something would open up. Prayers were answered!

I immediately wanted to drive by and see what it looked like. But we're still carless. Grrrrrrr. On Tuesday Chris was able to borrow Spencer's car during lunch and check out our new potential digs. 

 Front/Back

Looks to be 4 stories, yay! (You can't see the basement). 

The backyard is definitely tiny, but heck, that means less maintenance and I don't really care if there are any faults because it's all about location location location!

I could hardly sleep the last couple of nights because I was so excited to go check out the house. I was even planning to walk the 3.5 miles there and back because we don't have a car and I don't want to pay for a taxi or inconvenience anybody to take me and Fox and Jane. 

This morning I walked with Fox and Jane back to the housing office to get the paper offer and the key. 

But alas. It was not meant to be. 

The counselor simply said, "It's not ready to view now until August 9th. That's all I can tell you. Come back then."
Are you kidding me? That's it? No reasoning or details?

The Army is having to fork out lots of dough for us to be in the hotel every day and I know they want us out of here and into the house. So 2 more weeks and then probably a couple more weeks to get everything squared away means a lot more money they have to spend to keep us in the hotel!

I'm soooo bummed! Today definitely did not go according to plan. 

So now I think I'm going to go in on Monday (I really hope they're not sick of seeing me...) and go straight into the head honcho's office and say, "Hey, thank you so much for getting us the offer in Netzaberg. But now it's not available until August 8th! Is there anything in Netzaberg, preferably on JFK or Grünhundstraße (that's where our friends live and they have openings all around them that we'd love to live at! Plus they're a bit bigger with nicer backyards :) that will be open before August 8th?"

So that's that. 

We'll be in our hotel for a long time still. 

At least there's air conditioning because none of the government houses or buildings have AC and it's been ruddy HOT lately!

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The One with Workspace Wednesday

My scrap space (if you can even call it that, haha!) was featured on the Studio Calico blog today!

Here's what I had to say about it:

We are currently in the middle of a move with the Army from the US to Germany. I boxed up 99% of my scrapbooking supplies at the end of May and will hopefully be blissfully reunited with them at the end of this month. In-between then and now, I've adhered to Tim Gunn's advice to "Make It Work!" I packed a small suitcase to the brim with all of my favorite supplies and have been using only what I have since then. It's actually kind of liberating to only have a few things to use! Currently we're in a little 1-bedroom hotel until we can find a place to live, so I don't have anything fancy to store my supplies. In fact, I've resorted to using empty Huggies diapers boxes to house some ziplock baggies of embellishments! I did end up buying a plastic tub at the store for all of my papers so the kiddos can't rummage through everything :) This is all living proof that you can take your hobbies with you wherever you go!

 Pretty glamorous huh? Haha, not so much. But it works! A place for everything and everything in its place :)

 I can't go anywhere without my favorite 6x6 paper pads!

I hope once we're settled I can get another chance to show what my REAL scrap space looks like :)

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The One with Elle's Studio CHA Summer 2013 Layouts

I just love Elle's Studio - always have, always will! I was sad when I couldn't make stuff for CHA Summer because of our nomadic adventures, but then in Washington it turns out I had lots of free time, so I changed my mind and offered to help! Here are the layouts I made that are on display at CHA Summer in Las Vegas (wish I was there myself!):

FOX

Journaling says: On our way up to Oregon we made a pit stop & Fox was just being his cute self. These are some of my favorite pics of him.

How to: I don't have my handy dandy die cut machine with me, so I made a FOX template in Adobe Illustrator, printed it out, taped it gently onto a blue cardstock background, then used a ruler and xacto knife to cut out the letters. Backstitch around each letter using white floss. Trim strips of patterned paper and tearaway strips and adhere them at an angle to the back of the letters. Create three clusters of die cuts topped with photos and stitch circles around them. Write journaling and stamp the date on die cuts. Drop India ink around the three cluters and distress the layout edges.

Supplies: Patterned paper, die cuts, journaling spots: Elle's Studio; Cardstock, date stamp, pen, adhesive: American Crafts; Floss: DMC; India ink: ProArt; Ink: StazOn; Sewing machine: Bernina; Thread: Coats & Clark

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 JANE

Journaling says: Jane loves getting thrown up in the air by Daddy! She can definitely get some air and always giggles for a long time!!

How to: Die cut letters from a kraft chevron paper background the back each letters with patterned paper. Tuck a photo into the last letter. Embellish inside each letter using matching colors of die cuts and embellishments like paper leaves, paper clips, brads, buttons, sequins, enamel dots, crocheted doilies, and lots more! Write on a journaling card and add it to one of the letters. Drop India ink across the top left and bottom right corners. Stamp a sentiment and the date below the photo.

Supplies: Patterned paper, die cuts, journaling spots: Elle's Studio; Fabric brads: Crate Paper (orange), Pebbles (aqua); Buttons: American Crafts (wood), Pebbles (flower); Pearl: Pebbles; Sequins: Craft Supply; Enamel dots: My Mind's Eye; Paper leaves, pen, stamps (date, sentiment), adhesive: American Crafts; Paper clips: Freckled Fawn (arrow), Studio Calico (flag); Stickpin: Making Memories; Crocheted doilies: We R Memory Keepers; Floss: DMC; India ink: ProArt; Ink: StazOn

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MOTHERS DAY

Journaling says: I always love to take family pictures on Sundays before church - especially on holidays! Because we're all dressed our best!

How to: Trim 1/8" - 1/4" strips from every paper in the Penelope lin then stitch them across the top of an aqua cardstock background. Place a doily mask across the bottom and spray over it using white mist; repeat twice. Adhere a row of photos across the bottom and edge them with pieces of heart-themed die cuts. Add a white Thickers title above the photos. Place three clusters of three round embellishments over the paper strips then tuck die cuts and a journaling spot behind the embellishments. Stamp a sentiment/date on one of the die cuts and write on the journaling spot. Drop India ink next to the embellishment clusters. 

Supplies: Patterned paper, die cuts, journaling spots: Elle's Studio; Cardstock, letter stickers, pen, stamps (sentiment, date), adhesive: American Crafts; Fabric brads: Crate Paper; Buttons: American Crafts (wood), Pebbles (flower, pink); Doily mask: Pink Paislee; Mist: Studio Calico; India ink: ProArt; Ink: StazOn; Sewing machine: Bernina; Thread: Coats & Clark

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OH BOY!

Journaling says: Favorite Photo. That's My Boy! FOX. TOO COOL! Love that smile! SAY CHEESE!

How to: Trim a gray patterned paper block to 11" square then adhere it to a blue/white/green polka dot layout base. Layer die cuts and journaling cards across the front. Back Polaroid frame die cuts with photos and place them in a 3 x 2 grid on the center. Embellish around the layout with round die cuts, shaped paper clips, and drops of black spray mist. Stamp "FOX" with black ink on one of the frames. Tuck a title die cut under the top right frames. Stamp a star on the bottom right frame.

Supplies: Patterned paper, die cuts, journaling spots, stamps (letters, star): Elle's Studio; Paper clips: American Crafts (camera), Freckled Fawn (Arrow), Maya Road (star); Spray mist: Studio Calico; Ink: StazOn

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TREASURE THIS MOMENT

Journaling says: I love these pictures because this is life.

How to: Paint a white square over the middle of a black/white striped paper layout base. Arrange four Polaroid frame die cuts over the paint once it has dried in a 2 x 2 grid. Back two of the frames with photos. Cluster matching colored embellishments (like brads, buttons, tags, die cuts, enamel dots, etc.) under, over, and around each frame. Drop India ink over the top left and bottom right corners. Journal on one of the frames and stamp the date on another.

Supplies: Patterned paper, die cuts, journaling cards, tag: Elle's Studio; Brads (epoxy, fabric), pen, date stamp, adhesive: American Crafts; Flower button: Pebbles; Stickpin: Making Memories; Enamel dot: My Mind's Eye; Paint, India ink: ProArt

Thanks for taking a looksy, and another job well-done Elle!

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The One with the 2Peas Gardeners' Digest July 2013 Blog Hop

It's the 22nd of the month - time for the next installment of 2Peas Gardeners' Digest Day - a monthly blog hop hosted by the Garden Girls! Below you will find a sneak of one of my upcoming layouts for the 2Peas Project Gallery, a couple of projects from a scrapbooker that inspires me (Katie Ehmann), a list of 5 items that I've placed in my shopping cart, and a giveaway!

***Paige Evans***
Lilith Eeckels
Corrie Jones
Jill Sprott
Jen Gallacher
Julie Campbell
Laura Craigie
Céline Navarro
Lexi Bridges
Melissa Stinson
Michelle De Leon
Wilna Furstenberg
Lisa Dickinson
Shannon Tidwell
Jen Kinkade
Shimelle Laine
2Peas

Here is a little sneak of the "It's the Little Things"-themed layout that I created for the August 1st Garden Girl debut. Check out the rest of my Garden Girl creations HERE.

I'll share the entire layout on August 1st!

I guess I've been hiding under a rock, but I'm glad that I finally discovered the amazing talent known as Katie Ehmann! H.o.l.y. M.o.l.y. this girl can do things with scrapbooking supplies like WHAT!

Be sure to check out more of Kate's projects on her blog and her 2Peas Gallery.

I ALWAYS have to have a 6x6 paper pad in my cart! This is the Hello Again paper pad by Carta Bella. Swooning over the colors and patterns and I can't wait until it reaches my mailbox all the way over here in Germany!

99% of my layouts contain some sort of brad and/or button. So this What A Wonderful Day Buttons Set by Fancy Pants Designs is a must!

We've got a case of wanderlust and have a bunch of trips planned in the near future. These Carte Postale Wood Veneer Die Cuts by Basic Grey will definitely be making an appearance on my travel-themed pages.

I've been using more and more paper clips on my projects lately because they keep coming out with more and more fun shapes! Like these Light Yellow Star Paper Clips exclusively by Two Peas:

I'd be lost without my punches because cutting things by hand takes forever and a day! With this Petal by Petal Extra Large Punch from Fiskars, I can make flowers in a jiffy using lots of different patterned papers - my favorite supply!


I've got a giveaway to go along with this post! It's a spot in Céline Navarro's mini album class: Mini Books, Big Style!

Mini books. Big Style. Become a mini album master! Join Garden Girl C éline Navarro in this brand new workshop all about mini books! Céline has always loved making mini albums, she has hundreds of them at home. These cherished and beloved works of art are stored in a basket near her couch for everyone to see, or are displayed on shelves to decorate her scraproom. With her colorful and freeform style, Céline will guide you in creating your own library of mini books, while making fun and artful discoveries along the way! In this workshop, Céline shares her expertise on this favorite form of scrapbooking, covering topics that range from getting started to editing photos, to binding, to working with different media and materials. Enjoy!

 Leave a comment on this post (along with your 2peas username) by Monday July 29th and I'll pick one lucky winner to have a spot in this class!

Next on the hop is Lilith Eeckels!

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