vogt stories

Project Life Updates

2012-02-14T11:17:00.000-06:00

Hi all,

Happy Valentine's Day! Who has fun plans for this evening? Not this kid, unfortunately. My true love is home sick today. We've always kept Valentine's Day kind of quiet anyway because my nephew's birthday is today {Happy Birthday, Bubs!}, so we're normally celebrating with him. I do plan to bring home something for dinner instead of cooking at home, but it will be a quiet evening...which is actually perfect, considering how busy we've been!

I thought for today, I'd share some Project Life things with you. I know I haven't shared layouts with you for a couple of weeks. I'm falling behind. There are a couple reasons for it, but the biggest one is that I'm out of page protectors! I'm really hoping they're back in stock any day now, because I've figured out that if I get too far behind, it's a slippery slope. Heck, I've even figured out that if I finish my layout for the previous week too late in the current week, I'm forgetting stories and feeling like I'm losing time. I need to get caught up ASAP and get back on track!

Do you follow me on Pinterest? I started a Project Life inspiration board. You can follow me here. Here's just a few of the cool things I've already pinned:

Source: store.chictags.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: findingnana.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: stephpea.typepad.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: lemonstolimes.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Check out my Project Life board on Pinterest for a lot more inspiration as I find it!

Becky Higgins just shared a blog post this week filled with inspiration from the creative team {both traditional and digital scrappers}. Make sure you check out the post here when you get a chance!

How are you doing with Project Life? Have you kept up with it so far? Are you falling behind like me? I can't tell you the last time I was so excited to have a basic scrapbooking supply become available before these page protectors! I'm saving my pennies to order a bunch so I don't have to go through this again if they sell out!

I just want to say how much I LOVE that you all stop by to visit and read this blog. It's such a treat to connect with you here, on Facebook and via e-mail. I'm a very lucky girl!

Happy Valentine's Day all!

Cars Themed Birthday Party

2012-02-13T11:37:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday!

This weekend was extremely busy, filled with drama and laughter all at the same time, and even though there were many fun parts of this weekend...I'm glad for the fresh start that today will bring.

Saturday, my husband and I helped out my brother with throwing our nephew's birthday party. I've mentioned a couple of times on here, but my nephew is a freak for the movie Cars. I would imagine he watches it at least 2 times per week, and even though he has a whole collection of movies to pick from when he gets movie time, it's always Cars or Cars 2.

So when I asked him what he wanted his birthday party theme to be, he told me {yelled at me}, "Cars, of course!" Alrighty then. There were no talking him out of it, even when I reminded him that his last few birthdays have been Cars themed. Mike told me on the way home that every birthday he's ever celebrated with the kid has been Cars themed. So, that's 4 years in a row now. Trust me, it's getting harder to come up with new ideas for Cars birthday parties after all these years {you can see what I did last year with my carhop take on his birthday here}.

I'm bummed that we went to all the work we did and then I forgot my camera at work for the weekend. Thank goodness for my iPhone, but the pictures aren't the best quality.

I made him a Pit Crew t-shirt to wear for the day, with the number 6 for his 6th birthday.

Here's the whole set-up before people arrived. We had some balloons and things around the house also, but we kept it pretty simple. 6 year old boys aren't really into decorations, or I would have loved to go all out and turn the living room & kitchen into a motor speedway! {I should mention, this was the family party. My brother lives too far away from my nephew's school for him to really have friends over to the house. So, Michael was the only one under 21 there.}

Just a few of the details...we turned cream soda & root beer into Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment. We also had "Fillmore's Organic Fuel" tie-dyed labels for water bottles, but do you know how hard it is to take a decent picture of water bottles on an iPhone? Trust me, they didn't turn out pretty.

Here are the cupcakes. I couldn't decide on cupcake toppers, so I did a combination of picks with Mater & Lightening McQueen on them, and then some had racing flags. Most all of the cupcakes had little Cars 2 Squinkies. {Parents, what is the point of Squinkies?? I just don't get how they're fun toys. Do you collect them or something?}

We also made "Pit Passes" for everyone to wear. Michael's job was to greet people at the door and tell them they needed a Pit Pass to come into the speedway where the party was being held. For a bunch of people who haven't actually seen either of the Cars movies, it went over pretty well, and Michael loved deciding who got which character. I'm so mad at myself for not getting a great picture of the Pit Passes on their lanyards, but here's a screenshot I took to send a friend while I was designing them.

These were probably my favorite part of the whole party, and they were so easy to do {they were a last-minute addition on Friday evening}. Everyone had a different character, and like I said, Michael had a blast assigning them to people. It was good for him to have a starting point to interact with people too...he's great at saying hi to people when they first walk in the door, but he often gets distracted with his toys after that. I'm trying to help him continue to be social with people when they visit instead of focusing on playing by himself.

All in all, it was a really fun party. And I sat down and had a long talk with Michael about how this will be the last Cars party I throw, so he'd better pick a different theme next year. He told me it would be fine to have a Cars 2 party. He's such a smart aleck. I love it!! I have one little project left for him this week, some thank you cards {I'm thinking of making postcards that say "Greetings from Radiator Springs" or something to continue the theme. We'll see what happens.}

I hope everyone has an excellent, happy week! Lord knows I need peace in my life this week, so that's my wish for you as well. :)

Milk & Cookies Baby Shower {Vogt Design Co.}

2012-02-10T11:21:00.000-06:00

Hi all!

Happy Friday {TGIF!} I really didn't mean to disappear for a week, but the last 7 days have completely gotten away from me between work, illness, technical difficulties and who knows what else.

I'm sure you've seen my Milk & Cookies printable collections in my Etsy store or here on the blog. If not, click here for my Etsy store, or here for the first time I posted about this collection. I've had the best response on my Etsy store for this collection in all its forms {pink & brown, blue & brown, blue & red}. It's definitely my favorite too {even including the ones I haven't uploaded yet}, and it makes me wish I had a reason to throw a milk & cookies party!

One of my sweet customers, Britney, shared her milk & cookies baby shower on her blog this week, and I wanted to pass it along to you. Please take a minute and check out Britney's use of the items from the printable collection here.

Photo from Britney Ericksen

I love the way she used the milk labels on the vintage milk bottles, and the idea for guests making their own fruit pizzas is genius! She did such a great job, I couldn't resist passing it along. And...you know...the printables are pretty cute too!

I'll be back on Monday with some photos from the Cars birthday party we're throwing my nephew tomorrow and a bunch of Project Life updates {fingers crossed}.

Baby Shower Invitation {Pinterest Inspiration: January}

2012-02-03T10:38:00.000-06:00

Hi there!

I said I would be back today with my Project Life, but I forgot some stuff at home that I needed to finish my layouts before taking pictures. I'll get the uploaded this weekend, hopefully {we have a really busy weekend scheduled}.

I thought I'd show you what I made this month from my Pinterest inspiration {remember my 112 for 2012 post? One of my goals was to make at least one thing per month I've seen on Pinterest}. I didn't actually pin the invitation that inspired my baby shower invitation, and I'm so bummed about it! It's something I saw awhile back and just sketched out my ideas for it rather than pinning it. Don't ask me why.

Anyway, here it is! I'm not typically one to host a "themey" party {unless it's a kids party...kids like themes. Especially my nephew, who has had a Cars birthday party for the 3 last year years, practically killing his party planning auntie. More about that in another post.} This isn't the exact invitation {I've obviously removed some identifying information} and at the last minute, I changed the grey to a darker brown {my husband said the grey & blue reminded him of the Yankees, and after I was done gagging, I changed the colors}. I continued the blue chevron pattern on the back of the invitation. I'm really into invitations with patterns on the back, I think it adds a nice little surprise.

Even though the design is fairly modern, the decorations will have more of a vintage feel {I think...it's my idea of vintage, anyway}. I'll be able to show you pictures after this weekend, assuming the whole thing doesn't get cancelled by the blizzard that's being predicted!

Have a great, safe weekend everyone!

What I Didn't Buy

2012-02-02T15:55:00.000-06:00

Hi all,

Happy Groundhog Day! Today also happens to be the day my husband and I went on our first date 4 years ago, so even though I'm annoyed that the stupid little groundhog said there's 6 more weeks of winter, it's a happy day!

I've done a couple of these types of posts before, what I didn't buy. Now, don't ask me why I take pictures of things I didn't buy and then forget to take them of the things I did buy {just like I did yesterday}, but I seem to do that. I think maybe it's so if I'm looking for something or I regret something, I can see it again. Who knows why I do what I do?

I'm really into vintage fans lately. My dad gave me a cool one that sits on top of our fridge that I probably will never part with {it was my grandpa's originally}. I liked this one a lot because the base is light blue. I wasn't a fan of the center being orange, which is probably why I passed it up. I did buy another smaller one that was a gorgeous rusty brown and I will put it for sale when Gather opens this spring.

I love this adding machine. If it wasn't so out of my price range, I would have purchased it to sit on my counter at Gather for no real purpose at all, just because it's cool to look at. Maybe someday I'll find one that's in my budget {I also found, but didn't photograph, the coolest vintage cash register...it was also out of my price range}.

Back to my love for vintage kitchen scales. Did you know I collect these? I only have a few because I'm very particular about the ones I'll buy, but I'm in love with them. I'm pretty sure I have scales in almost every room in my house, even though they were meant for the kitchen.

Another vintage scale. I didn't look at it close enough to actually figure out what it measured, but I thought it was pretty cool looking.

And finally, some gauges. I found these in the cutest booth, and I love the way she styled all of her products. These were actually pretty affordable, but I just went in to browse last night and didn't plan on buying too much.

I did walk away with some jello molds, the little fan, and a florist's frog for displaying things. If it wasn't so stinking sharp, I think it would make an adorable business card holder. I know how clumsy I am though, and I'm pretty likely to prick my finger on something like that.

I try to schedule time at least once a week, no matter how busy I am, to go thrifting or to small antique stores or to browse Craigslist. I love the idea that I never know what I'm looking for or what I'll find. It's always surprising what I walk away with, and how inspired I am after I'm done. I called my husband last night to see if he wanted to meet me and walk around with me. I thought it was so cool to see him pointing out things he loved or was interested in, and even things he knew I was looking for or would find interesting. Antiques and junk aren't really his thing, but as always, he's so supportive of what I love that he never minds helping me out or spending time doing something I'm interested in. I'm blessed to have him in my life.

I'm filing this in the Gather posts, because there's no real updates on the store, unfortunately. Life should be slowing down in the next week or so and then it's back to work. I'm actually aching to start creating for Gather and get the building ready to start staging and filling with product!

Have a great Thursday, I'll be back tomorrow with my Project Life Week 4 layout.

112 in 2012 Progress: January

2012-01-31T10:33:00.002-06:00

Hi all,

It's the last day of January {wow, has time flown} and I thought I'd check in on my monthly goals. The original post is here if you want to read it. I'll hopefully give an update at the end of each month so I can keep myself accountable.

Normal text - haven't started
Italics - making progress
~~Strikethrough~~ - failed miserably
Bold - completed

1. Pack or eat a healthy breakfast on days I have to work {don’t stop for fast food or skip it} {1/12}
~~2. Pack or eat a healthy lunch on days I have to work {don’t stop for fast food or skip it}~~ {0/12, I am so terrible at this}
3. Plan dinners the night before so we can stop for necessary ingredients or take things out of the freezer to thaw {1/12}
4. Move closer to Elmwood
5. Donate at least 20 boxes of things to the thrift store before moving
6. Sort and organize all holiday decorations so they are easily accessible
7. Donate holiday decorations that won’t be used prior to the next holiday
8. Start a family
9. Complete 2011 Project Life Album
10. Start & complete 2012 Project Life Album
11. Complete at least one additional Project Life Album from a previous year
12. Print pictures at least once a month from the previous month {I'm actually printing pictures weekly, which is helping me keep up on with PL}
13. Work with nieces on Project Life albums, including printing pictures for them monthly
14. Grow my business
15. ~~Blog at least 3 times per week~~ { 0/12, I think I managed 2 times per week, I'll work my way up to 3 next month!}
16. Engage in at least one activity per month to promote my business
17. ~~Take at least 1 picture per day~~ {I figured out this doesn't really work for me...I've been doing weekly PL layouts, which is much more attainable}
18. Take pictures during important events/gatherings
19. Plan 1 date night per month with Mike {1/12, We went to Mic's karaoke bar with friends this month, so much fun!}
20. Complete 1 project per month from inspiration found on Pinterest {1/12, I saw the cutest baby shower invitation, and used it as inspiration...I'll share later on this week}
21. Start an idea binder to keep inspiration from magazines, etc.
22. Visit grandparents at least 1 time a month {1/12}
23. ~~Plan and work on 1 craft project per month with nieces and nephews~~ {0/12, unless you count butchering as a craft}
24. Take at least 1 vacation out of state {We have plans under way for 2, so excited!}
25. Take at least 1 vacation in state
26. Visit 1 place I’ve never been before
27. Pay off at least 1 credit card
28. Use at least 1 coupon with every grocery purchase
29. Try one new recipe per month {?/12, I can't actually remember if I did or not...}
30. Learn to sew
31. Donate items from couponing to an organization in need
32. Take a photography class
33. Make our new house feel like our home
34. Purchase/borrow bikes and go riding on the trail this summer
35. Plan an outing/visit with friends at least once a month
36. Take pictures for my blog posts
37. Create a video to post on my blog
38. Send birthday cards on time to important people when we can’t celebrate in person
39. Create a stash of cards for multiple occasions to have on hand
40. Frame pictures for our home and display them
41. Create a gallery wall in our new house of important/sentimental pictures
42. Work on creating Christmas decorations throughout the year
43. Relax and enjoy December and Christmas preparations
44. Finish all holiday shopping by December 1
45. Wrap and label Christmas gifts so they are under the tree by the end of the first week in December
46. Use my iPhone calendar to help keep me organized
47. Build a stockpile and only shop for perishable items as needed - otherwise, use the stockpile
48. Plant a garden or work with family to have a garden
49. Freeze or can fresh produce to use throughout the following year
50. Take a family picture to display in our home, including both puppies
51. Attend 1 Christmas event in the community {tree lighting, Santa visit, etc.}
52. Visit the local library
53. Become a member of Mike’s church
54. Take all my nieces and nephews to the zoo for the day
55. Go to the Farmer’s Market at least once a month during June/July/August
56. Make homemade rolls for a holiday dinner
57. Drink at least 3 big glasses of water daily {1/12, I haven't been keeping track to know if it's 3 or not, but I've been drinking a lot more water}
58. Find at least 1 new blog per month to follow {1/12, turns out, this isn't hard for me...check out these awesome blogs: Design Editor, The Small Things Blog, and Twenty Three Oh One}
59. Comment on at least 1 blog post per week {4/52, I've been trying to do this every day I catch up on my Reader}
60. Host 1 holiday celebration at my house
61. Have a family dinner for no special reason at least every other month
62. Identify a space in our new home for books and make use of it
63. Visit a large flea market/antique show {I have plans!!}
64. File important paperwork so it’s easily accessible
65. Organize my spice cupboard so it’s not overly full and difficult to find what I’m looking for
66. Utilize my closet
67. Make a plan to complete chores/housekeeping responsibilities on a routine basis
68. Purchase a new vacuum cleaner and use it!
69. Begin filling my home with meaningful decorations that make us happy
70. Make time weekly to create for myself {rather than for customers or gifts} {4/52, though I don't want to always count this, so far I've considered PL time as meeting this goal...it's been a joy to actually scrapbook again}
71. Attempt to make contact with the people who received organs from my mom
72. Send Christmas cards
73. Carve a pumpkin
74. Attend a training/seminar to learn a new skill for work
75. Take a picnic
76. Learn how to use Photoshop
77. Take flowers to the graves of loved ones who have passed away
78. Use my time wisely to eliminate stress {I'm getting much better}
79. Check Etsy and local stores first for gift giving options {I bought some really cute straws for a baby shower I'm hosting}
80. Plan ahead for gift giving to allow time for shipping or searching for the right gift
81. Complete the Week in the Life project and get photographs into an album or Project Life layout
82. Get my house into a state where I would be comfortable with people dropping in
83. Keep my new house in a state where I’m comfortable with people dropping in
84. Change my mindset that people can drop in on a house that is not perfectly spotless
85. Strive to be more patient with people
86. ~~Get up at least 3 times per week after hitting the snooze button only once {set alarm for the time I want to get out of bed instead of 45 minutes early}~~ {I feel physically ill if I don't hit the snooze buttons a couple of times...I tried it, I'd rather just wake up at my own pace}
87. Become more active in an attempt to be healthier {and lose weight in the process}
88. Purchase a pair of dress shoes that are cute and do not hurt my feet
89. Send at least 1 “thinking of you” card to someone for no particular reason
90. Make and display an advent calendar
91. Organize my pantry
92. Don’t give up on taking photographs daily if I happen to miss one day {I missed a couple days and came up with a solution that works for me...weekly photo layouts in PL}
93. Don’t complain about anything for a week
94. Watch a movie I’ve always wanted to see but have never made time to watch
95. Make a custom recipe book {or find my favorite online recipes and pin them onto my Food board on Pinterest}
96. Eat 3 things I’ve never tried before
97. Learn to knit or crochet
98. Make Cold Cookies for Grandma {and Mike & me}
99. Make my own cleaning product rather than buying something
100. Go to the county fair
101. Go to Groundhog Days
102. Don’t swear for a week
103. Identify 25 things that make me happy and find a way to incorporate those things into Project Life
104. Journal in Project Life as I take pictures - complete journaling for the previous month at the start of a new month
105. Visit at least 1 photo booth
106. ~~Take vitamins daily~~ {I honestly forgot this was on my list...whoops}
107. Organize the photos on my computer
108. ~~Clean out refrigerator weekly~~ {Major fail}
109. Send thank you notes in a timely manner
110. Donate expired coupons for military use
111. Create/purchase a family calendar to be used by both Mike & me
112. ~~Say no to things when I don’t have time or am feeling overwhelmed~~ {I tried...it didn't work. I need to be more assertive. I'll keep trying.}

There you have it! I've been making progress on quite a few things, failed at a few things, and so on. The things I've failed on don't seem to be one-time events, so I'm going to keep trying, and hopefully I'll be able to remove that black line and say they're in progress!

{I added a label for the 112 in 2012 if you want to check out my progress over the course of the year.}

Have a great day!

Project Life: Week 3

2012-01-27T12:35:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday everyone!

I know, I'm a couple of days later than I promised with this post. I have an excuse {technical difficulties with my inserts}, but really...who wants to hear excuses? :)

Here's the full layout:

I actually have 2 inserts in addition to the 2 Design A page protectors this week. I wanted to include a DVD of a video I took on my phone {my husband reading to our niece...cutest thing ever!}, and an 8.5x11" insert of the facebook posts and blog post from the day I announced Gather on the blog. On the back side of the insert is a drawing my nephew left in the car when I picked him up from school one day.

Here's the left side, close up:

This is a pretty standard page. The picture of Mike in the bottom right corner is one of the still shots from the video I took of him reading to Brookie. So adorable.

Here's the right side, close up:

Again, a fairly standard page.

If you look at the full layout view you can get an idea of what the insert looks like {I'm not going to show you a close-up for privacy reasons}. I took several screenshots of my Facebook wall because I couldn't get them all in one shot and spliced them together. I also copied some of the text from my blog post that day and included the Gather logo.

Finally, here's the title card for this week:

I'm having fun figuring out creative ways to simply embellish these. It feels like a mini scrapbook page, without all the stress of embellishing the full layout.

I'm still in love with this project. I'm really proud of myself for keeping up with it for even these last 3 weeks. I've found myself taking more pictures than normal, which is a nice push. I'm still loving using my iPhone to take the majority of my pictures. It's just handy for everyday photos since I don't care my big camera with me all day, every day.

I joined the free class for Project Life on Big Picture Classes. It's completely free, and there's a gallery with tons of inspiration and a great message board to connect with other Project Lifers. My name on BPC is Jen V. and I've uploaded all my layouts from the first 2 weeks into the 2012 gallery. I'm also hoping to participate in a blog hop with other PLers on February 5. More details on that to come!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by :)

Monday Randoms & Gather Questions Answered

2012-01-23T11:38:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday!

My mind is going a hundred miles a minute today, and I can't even focus long enough to write a post about one particular topic, so you get my random train of thought. Enjoy!

I adore every song of Adele's that I've heard. I love her. Rumor Has It just came on my Pandora station. LOVE. Thank goodness for Pandora, it makes my days so much better.
This weekend was busy and full of fun. Friday I spent the day working on a couple of parties I'm planning and worked from home a bit, and then met some family for dinner to celebrate my grandparents' 53rd wedding anniversary. Saturday we were up at the crack of dawn to butcher our meat for the year. Sunday, we were exhausted and enjoyed a lot of time on the couch with our pups. It's not very often we clear our schedule to be lazy, but I'm glad we did {even if I'll pay for it this week}.
I'm attending a volunteer fair tomorrow to promote opportunities at our company. Just got me to thinking - even if you only have an hour or two a week to give, go out and do something for someone else. The things we have on our list are as simple as helping someone paint their nails or talking with someone about sports. I'm not saying you should only help elderly people {though I'm obviously a fan if you choose to}, but get out there and help someone if you can.
Since we have an influx of meat after this weekend, I'm looking for good recipes to use ground beef. If you have any, please leave them {or the links} in my comments. I'll be forever grateful...I'm so out of creative ideas.
I'm still getting love and encouragement about Gather. Thank you!! Seriously, I light up when I hear things like that; it completely makes my day. Here's the answers to a few questions:

Where will Gather be located?
I already have a space secured in Elmwood, Nebraska {which is where my husband's family is from and where we hope to be moving this year}. Since I don't have an opening date yet, I'm not going to publish the address quite yet, though if you really wanted to find it, I'm sure you could! For those who are local and still have no idea where Elmwood is {I don't blame you, I didn't either}, it's between Omaha & Lincoln. About 20 minutes east of Lincoln on "O" Street/Highway 34, or about 30-45 minutes southwest of Omaha {depending on where you're coming from}. Once I'm ready to open, I'll be sure to post detailed directions from both Omaha and Lincoln and a map of the area.

Are you quitting your job?
Ha, no. Unfortunately. As much as I'd love to run Gather and create lovely things all day, I just don't think it will pay the bills. I do plan to reduce my time spent in the office {though not my hours working} once I get through this busy time of year and get closer to opening. And maybe with your help, I'll someday be able to make Gather my full-time job!

What will your hours be?
I haven't set them in stone yet, but I do know I'll be open on Friday & Saturdays for sure. During some times of the year, I'll be open on Sundays I'm sure, and also by appointment when I'm not scheduled to be open. I do plan to host some evening classes during the week once I get the classroom up and running. And again, with your support, maybe I can make this my only job and be open even more often!

Do you have an online boutique?
Yes, I have an Etsy boutique that can be found here. It's fairly empty at the moment, but there are some cute printable collections still available, and I'll be adding more of those as soon as I can get a space to take photographs and stage parties {either in Gather or outside where I take most of those photos}. I'll also be adding the wedding invitation suites as soon as they're created and photographed and maybe some of the smaller items I'm selling in Gather.

I'm also planning on having a catalog of certain items once I get a new website, but I haven't thought that through completely yet. Let me just say that even if you don't live locally and don't want to plan a vacation just to shop at Gather, you'll be able to see what items I have for sale and purchase if you'd like.

Are you on Facebook?
I know of a lot of people who read this blog are friends of mine on Facebook, However, I've also created a Facebook page for Gather that you can find here. I need to have 25 followers before I can activate a username, so if I could pretty please get you to follow the page, that would be great! I'll fill it with updates about the store, photos of my progress and products and anything else I think might interest you.

Okay, how's that for random? I hope everyone has a great day, and I'll be back on Wednesday with my Project Life Week 3 layouts for you to see!

Project Life: Week 2

2012-01-19T10:34:00.001-06:00

Hi all!

First, I just want to say how much all of your support meant to me about my big announcement on Tuesday! I can't tell you how much it means to have so many awesome people in my life who are willing to be so supportive of my crazy ideas! Every single note you left on my Facebook page, texted me, comments on the blog...it meant the world!! I can't wait to have more updates about Gather for you in the coming weeks.

On to my Project Life Week 2 layout. I'm a day later than my goal, but I'm close! The project is still going really well...I like that I've given myself permission to not take a photo a day, but instead tell a week's worth of stories during one layout. It definitely keeps me from feeling the pressure of a Project 365.

Here's the full layout:

Very simple again this week, although I did add a couple of extra embellishments to the title card. Every photo this week was taken with an iPhone {either mine or the husband's...loving that he's so supportive of this project!} I realized this week when the battery on my camera died that I'd left my charger at my brother's house at Christmas. Bad news because I wanted to take pictures with something other than my phone, good news that my battery lasted as long as it did without being charged!

Here's a close-up of the left side:

And here's a close-up of the right:

Last week was a pretty slow week for us. Lots of ordinary, everyday things to be done. I actually don't remember a lot of what happened last week, other than what happened over the weekend, which just means it was a normal week full of work and work and more work.

Like I said above, I did add a couple of embellishments to the title card this week:

The wk2 letters are Thickers by Dear Lizzy for American Crafts. I found these when I was looking for something else and I thought the shade of pink would be cute to add a pop on my title card. Plus, the font looks a little like my writing, which I thought was fun.

The flag with the dates on it is something I created. I told you in my Week 1 Layout post that I would go back in and add dates, and these flags are what I figured out. I designed them based on the flag that's on one of the front page cards in the Clementine kit {you can see the one I'm talking about here...it's the bottom right corner, with the clock}. I used 7 of the colors found in the Core Kit and made flags for the whole year. It's will be a lot of cutting, but I figured I could trim them while I'm watching tv one day. Or I can cut them as I need them weekly. I'll go back and add the Week 1 dates this week, and you'll see more of the flags going forward in my layout posts. I attached the flag with Tim Holtz's Tiny Attacher {which I love, by the way}.

I'm really excited for the page protectors to be restocked on Amazon {expected in early February}...the more I use my iPhone, the more I realize that I might need some protectors that are oriented vertically, in addition to the trusty Design A that I said I would be faithful to.

For those of you doing Project Life this year, how's it going? Are you keeping up so far? I'd love to see any progress you've made!

Have a great day!

Big Announcement Day!

2012-01-17T12:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! In my last post, I promised you I'd have a big announcement last week, but I'm a little late! Friday through Monday completely got away from me with having fun and all the things I had to do...and I didn't get the post written. So, here we go.

After many, many dreams, plans, ideas, and brainstorming sessions {in my head and with others}, I've decided that now is the time to open the boutique I've always wanted.

When people have asked me what I want to have in my boutique, I could never narrow down the answer. Stationery, party decorations, craft supplies, home decor, antiques, unique finds, classes...you name it, I've probably thought about it at some time or another. I couldn't make it all work in my head though...how the heck do you explain to people that you sell a little bit of everything?

Gather is that concept. When I was trying to figure out the name of the boutique, I ended up searching for the meanings of words in the dictionary. I wanted just the right thing. Here's some dictionary definitions when I looked up the word "gather":

1. to bring together into one group, collection or place
2. to bring together and assemble from various places, sources or people; collect gradually
3. to pick up piece by piece

The products that will be for sale at Gather will be exactly that...a collection. A conglomeration of things I've found, collected or created myself. A little something for everyone.

I'm in the early planning stages at this point, but I do hope to open my doors this spring. As you saw in my pictures from the first week of Project Life, Mike & I and our family have been busily working away in the boutique to make it a beautiful blank canvas to display everything I'll be selling. It's been a lot of wallpaper removal and painting so far, and I'm looking forward to having some new flooring put in soon, and then I can focus on the fun stuff - filling the store with all sorts of fun things.

So what will I be selling?

Home decor
Gift items
Party decorations & supplies
Wedding stationery & decor
Craft supplies & tools
Stationery

I also have space planned out for a classroom/work room area. I'm sure at first it will mostly be a work room {for example, I've already talked with a few friends about having a monthly Project Life work session to keep us all motivated}. I do plan to eventually teach scrapbooking and card making classes {and possibly some other craft projects}, but my primary focus right now is filling the space with product.

As I said before, much of the product will either be things I've made or things I've found and loved as I've shopped for myself or with this store in mind. But, I've also run across a couple of other artists who make beautiful creations I plan to feature in the boutique, and I'll be on the lookout for more as the need arises for new products.

Finally, with all these changes, I figured it was time to work on a couple of other goals I've been floating around for the last year or so. I'm working with a web designer to develop a website that will feature inventory from the store, link to my Etsy boutique, and also offer what I hope will be a ton of inspiration for party and wedding planning. My blog will eventually move over there. This is all in the very early stages, but I think it is the ideal solution to link vogtstories, Vogt Design Co. and Gather.

My other big change is that I'll be stepping back from completely customized wedding stationery. While I love creating one of a kind stationery suites for the brides I work with, it's become terribly time consuming and a lot of work. It's also becoming more difficult to do this kind of work when clients are spread out across the country, and not sitting across from me sharing their visions about their wedding days. So, instead, I'll be creating a few stationery suites based on current trends I see in the wedding industry and offering the pieces individually so brides {and grooms!} can build their ideal stationery suite from what I have to offer. Designing multiple suites is a HUGE undertaking for me, but it's something I'm excited to do, and share both in my Etsy boutique and at Gather. I'll add designs as I have time, and once things get a little more settled at Gather, I may still be able to take on the occasional custom order.

Whew...there you have it! Lots of changes to my business that I'm extremely excited about! Remember my post about 112 in 2012? #14 {in no particular order} was to grow my business. I told you that some of the things I was putting on my list were things I already knew would be happening...and making progress on Gather was definitely one of those things. I wrote last year that I wasn't sure I would be keeping my "real" job, and when I started brainstorming what I wanted to do when I grew up, this boutique was it. My job wasn't eliminated, but I knew Gather needed to be a priority in 2012, no matter how much work it took and how little sleep I would get.

Look for updates about Gather in future posts...I'll keep you in the loop about what's going on with my little dream!

Thanks to everyone who has known about this project for all their support and encouragement. I don't know if I could have ever taken the leap without you. Especially my sweet husband, Mike, who has been cheering me on since our first date almost 4 years ago!

Have a great day, everyone!

Project Life: Week 1

2012-01-11T10:48:00.000-06:00

Hi all,

Happy Wednesday! I wanted to pop in today to show you my Week 1 layout for my 2012 Project Life album. Look at that, I got a layout done! I'm one farther along than I did with my 2011 album {though, with as simple as this system is, I'll be caught up as soon as I find a spare hour or two}.

This first photo is the entire layout as you're looking at the album. Today is kind of a dreary day here, so the photos are a little darker than I'd like them. Plus, does anyone have any tips for taking a good photo of page protectors? I really didn't think it would be that hard!

Anyway...it's a two page spread, plus I included one 6x12 page protector for my 2012 goals.

Here's a look at the left side:

In the top left corner is my title card for this week. I labeled it week 1 {I will probably go back in and put the dates on the card, but I want to find a uniform way to do this throughout the album, and I haven't come up with it yet} and I also included some things that happened last week that I don't have photos of but that I want to remember or were an important part of my week. This won't happen every week, but I'm sure it will fairly often.

This page is also where I put my filler 3x4 card {the furthest left} because there are slots for 8 journaling cards and 7 pictures once you have a title page in there. I used the date stamp that came with last year's Project Life kit to include the date on my journaling cards. These don't come in the new Core Kits, but you can find them in any office supply store.

One other note - on the bottom left corner, you'll see Jim Carrey's face in my layout. No, Jim and his penguins don't hang out with my family. We had movie night with the fam, and since I didn't have a picture, I found the cover of the DVD we watched and had it printed in 4x6 to include with my album.

Here's a look at the right side:

The right side has a similar layout. I did crop one of my photos down from 4x6 to 3x4 and include it in the journaling card slot on the right of this page, just because so many of my photos were from the same project and I didn't need to journal about each of them separately. {If you look closely, you're also getting a preview of a big announcement I'm planning to make this week...no, I'm not pregnant, just chubby. It's something else!}

And finally, here's the 6x12 page protector I put in the middle:

These are my 2012 goals, printed front and back on this piece of light blue cardstock. I read something somewhere that you're more likely to achieve your resolutions or goals if you post them in a prominent place. I thought from time to time, I could look at my goals and see which I'm doing and which I need to step it up on. We'll see if it helps.

There you have it, my first week's layout. This layout is Project Life in it's most simple form. Pictures in the slots, journaling cards in the slots, week done. There are a lot of very talented people out there going above and beyond and adding things to their albums. It's great and really inspiring! But, I didn't have time to do that this week {as I probably won't most weeks.} The reason I stopped scrapbooking in the first place is that it got to be too overwhelming to me and took more time than I had. This layout was finished in less than an hour, and it probably only took that long because I was working on it on my lap on the couch in front of a Gilmore Girls DVD. I just want everyone to be aware that Project Life can be as simple or detailed as you want it to be...and you don't have to pick one or the other. It really is a great memory keeping system no matter where you are on the scrapbooking spectrum

I hope to be doing these kinds of posts weekly. It's helping me to keep accountable! Wednesday seems to be a good day for that, so I'll make it my goal to have my Project Life layouts for you on Wednesday.

And don't forget to check back later this week for my big announcement! Have a great day!

PS: You may have noticed I'm labeling my Project Life posts now...just click the link at the bottom of any of my Project Life posts to see everything I've written about Project Life and my personal projects.

Project Life Set-up

2012-01-06T11:03:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

I wanted to pop in quickly this morning to talk a little about how I set up my Project Life album!

Supplies

I got the Clementine Core Kit from Becky Higgins. As I said in my last post, I've ordered 7 Project Life kits in the last year, so I've seen every design. I love them all...really love them. But I decided Clementine was best for me at this particular time...subtle colors, some vintage images, cool phrases...love it all.

I decided against the coordinating binder, even though I think it's really cute with this set. I've been thinking about having my albums in a neutral color for awhile now. White and black seem a little too boring to me, so I went with this 12x12 binder from We R Memory Keepers {the company who makes the Project Life binders as well}. The one shown is black, but I got mine is a pretty shade of grey. I didn't see it on the website, but I got it from Archiver's, where they told me they'd just gotten them in.

Finally, the page projectors. I'm using 3 varieties for now, because that seems to work for me. That may evolve over the course of the year, but here's what I have {all from Becky Higgins}:

Design A is kind of the "classic" Project Life design. It's what used to come standard in the kits, so it's what I'm used to, and in general, I really like it. I don't take a ton of vertical pictures, so I don't mind the horizontal orientation {and I'm fine with turning my album to look at pictures}. This design is currently sold out on Amazon but is expected back in early February.

The 6X12 size is new for me, but I've already got one in my album. I thought I might want to share a longer, typed story from time to time, so that's why I got these and exactly what I'm using them for. Again, these are currently sold out but expected back in February.

The Big Envelopes are kind of a dream come true for me. They're really sturdy construction and great for holding all the "stuff" that accumulates in life. I'm not great at holding on to those types of things unless I have a specific place to put it. However, when I look back through albums, I love being able to pull out those things and look at them. Again, currently sold out, back in February.

Set-up
Set-up for me is pretty easy, thank goodness. I basically follow the instructions that come in the kit, put the title pages where they're suggested to be, put the end pages where they're suggested to be, and move on with my life. I love that Project Life can be as simple or intricate as you want it to be.

I am a little OCD from time to time though {you know, the waking hours} and filling my page protectors takes a little planning before I get started. I take the title cards that are included in the kit, and sort them by style so I won't have two of the same style too close to one another in the book.

Then I do the same thing with the filler cards. Wouldn't want those too close to each other either. I also consider their placement in the album when I'm putting them in the 3X4 slots. For example, during week 1, the filler card is in the left most slot. In week 2, it's in the slot second from the left, week 3 it's in the third slot, and so on. I just keep rotating throughout the album.

Finally, I do the same thing for journaling cards. I didn't fill my journaling card slots last year with the intention that I might want to journal on the go. I actually didn't do that more than once. This year, I'm filling in the journaling cards, and I will journal as I include pictures, unless there's something specific I want to include {though I'm just as likely to include a post-it and write the whole story once I've printed the picture. We'll see how it goes.}

That's basically the extent of my set-up. It's not too complicated, and it doesn't even have to be that complicated if you don't want it to be. I plan to keep my album out where I can see it so that I'm going to keep up with it. I don't know if it will be on my desk in the dining room or on the dining room table or on the kitchen counter quite yet, but it will be on one of those 3 places, along with my core kit {I adore the core kits this year and that I can use them to hold all the supplies that came in the kit without taking up a ton of room.} I'll probably also include a little basket of supplies there that I might use throughout the project - my corner rounder, a couple of my favorite pens, some post-it notes, and maybe some other little embellishments if I feel like getting fancy on a particular layout.

Let me know if you're also planning to do Project Life! I'm planning {hoping} to upload my weekly layouts here on the blog, also to hold myself accountable, so I hope you'll be hearing a lot about this project over the near year!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Favorites of 2011

2012-01-04T10:32:00.000-06:00

I definitely have some favorites for 2011 that I've been thinking about lately. If I don't already have photos of them, I'll probably stage some to put in my 2011 Project Life album as I try to complete it {ordered a bunch of photos yesterday I hadn't bothered to print yet...}.

Favorite Business Purchase

Definitely the Silhouette Cameo. Now, I'll be honest, I haven't even taken it out of the box yet and it's been sitting in my dining room for almost a month now. {Are any of you weird like me and hold off on using something you're super excited to use because you want to keep feeling excited about something? I also use it as a reward system..."Self, you can't take the Cameo out of the box until you decorate for Christmas." Never happened. "Self, you can't take the Cameo out of the box until you organize your craft room." Probably not going to happen til I move. You get the idea.} But...that doesn't mean I don't already love it. I've been stalking some very talented ladies who use it and I'm excited about all the things I think will be possible with it. Check out this blog post by Shanty 2 Chic for a great promo code on the Cameo and a fabric kit {it's too late for the giveaway, unfortunately} and for more information on the Cameo, visit the Silhouette website.

Favorite Personal Purchase

Project Life. Hands down. I purchased 7 kits in total in 2011. Yup, 7. 5 were for gifts and 2 were for me {2011 & 2012}. I can't say enough good things about this project, but if you want to read where I try, check out this post and this post. I purchased my album cover last night {this one, in Grey 12x12, which is apparently so new it didn't make the website...I got it at Archiver's} and will be assembling what I can tonight and taking photos. I only have 5 page protectors at the moment...silly me wanted to wait til after Christmas to order my own stash, and they ended up being sold out. My adorable niece was kind enough to let me borrow back 5 that I had given her for Christmas until the new ones come in. Then I'm to drive to her house immediately to replace them so she has room for all her pictures. Anyway...Becky Higgins did a great post yesterday filled with tons of Project Life inspiration. Check it out!

Best Thing to Happen to our Family

Abby Gator. Who turned 1 on Monday. She's not a baby anymore {even though she acts like it most of the time}. She doesn't know her own strength {which is why she's wearing the chain - she's broken 3 "unbreakable" tie-outs that have a 300lb. resistance.} She is easily the sweetest dog I've ever met. She loves everyone immediately {and will show you by jumping up for hugs}, always wants to play, and loves to cuddle. I can't imagine our family without her.

Favorite Gift

The Keurig coffee brewer. I have the Special Edition one, which was a Christmas gift from my super awesome mother-in-law {along with some k-cups to try and a travel mug}. I like coffee. I definitely don't drink it everyday though {until now, perhaps}. In winter, I drink it a lot more, especially in the morning or on weekends. I like to be warm. In the summer, I don't even think about it. I like that I can make drinks over ice {I just can't bring myself to drink a warm drink in the summer}, I like that it has multiple cup sizes, and I like that I can make just enough for me and not have to worry about wasting half a pot of coffee. I'm buying 2 more {probably this one} for each of our campuses at work to have on hand for visitors. For more info on Keurig, check out their website.

Favorite Discovery

Pinterest. Lots of hours, lots of pins, lots of inspiration. I still go back nearly every day, looking for more things to pin. I'm continually amazed by the talent that's out there - it makes me feel motivated and like a slacker all at the same time. Let me know if you need an invitation, if you haven't already jumped on board. {Click the icon below to follow me on Pinterest}

There you have it. Just a few of my favorites from this last year. What are some of your favorite products from last year or the first few days of this year?

Have a great day, hope your 2012 is off to an awesome start!

Customer Request {Blue Milk & Cookies Printable Collection}

2012-01-01T13:17:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I quickly wanted to share with you a new printable party collection I created at the request of one of my sweet Etsy customers. It's the blue counterpart to my Pink Milk & Cookies Printable Collection that I blogged about here.

She requested this collection for a 1st birthday party, which I think will just be adorable. The Blue Milk & Cookies Printable Collection is now listed in my Etsy store.

Thanks to Laura for the great idea!

Project Life: Take 2

2011-12-28T09:06:00.001-06:00

Happy Tuesday, all!

If you read my post yesterday, you noticed a lot of Project Life mentions throughout my goals list. No, I'm not getting paid to mention them or convince you to jump on the PL bandwagon. I just love the product and really want to use it to make my memory keeping a lot easier throughout next year.

I've blogged about Project Life before when I first heard about it, almost exactly a year ago. You can read my original post here. You can also see some of the photos I took for my January PL spreads here.

I know I've mentioned the project off and on, but I haven't shared a whole lot about it. Please don't let my laziness reflect badly on the project, because that's really the only reason. PL is extremely easy to use, it doesn't offer a lot of pressure, and it's really really cute.

Project Life is a memory keeping system. If you want to read the skinny about it from the creator, Becky Higgins, please check out http://www.beckyhiggins.com/. I also highly recommend following Becky's blog and liking her Facebook page. Both are full of tons of useful information {related to memory keeping and life in general}, and you can't help but walk away inspired.

Why did I get started?
I've called myself a scrapbooker for years {12 now} and I think of that as one of my main hobbies. I have an entire room dedicated to scrapbooking and card-making, and I read blogs every day related to keeping memories. It truly is one of my passions. But the reality is, when I force myself to face it, is that I haven't completed a scrapbook in 8 years. And in the entire time I've been scrapbooking, I only have 2 albums that I would say are finished. 2!! Isn't that ridiculous??

I realized that as much as I love looking for inspiration, buying product, figuring out what the latest trend is, scouring magazines...that's not actually helping me preserve my memories. Sure, I love to go into Archivers and drop a ton of money on fun supplies, but the reality is that I rarely use them as I intended, and none of that helps me share my story with others {or even myself, several years down the road}.

With Project Life, I don't have a need for all the extra stuff. I can still look for inspiration, buy product, etc. and I can get my photos off my computer and into an album! I can use the product if I want, or I can hoard it for special projects, or I can actually save money and only buy the things I'm going to use right away.

How did 2011 go?
Well, you'll notice that there weren't a lot of updates after January. Quite frankly, I didn't make time to do this project the way I wanted to - but that was my own fault. This memory keeping system is really set up to be a stress-free, make it quickly sort of thing. I am an out of sight, out of mind type of person, and my Project Life album got tucked away in my craft room, which meant it didn't get the attention I planned to give it. But - I'm okay with that. The cool thing with Project Life is, I can go back, print out all my pictures from 2011, do some quick journaling, and probably have the whole album completed in few hours. I had to adjust my expectations along the year - for example, I originally thought I'd have one, 2-page layout per week. That didn't work for me and my photograph taking last year, so I plan to have at least one, 2-page layout per month. Some months will have more. Some special events will get their one 2-page layout {a family reunion, for example}. The best thing about Project Life is that it can be whatever I want it to be. NO PRESSURE!

What's the plan for 2012?
Well, you saw my list yesterday. Big plans! I do want to try a layout a week again. It shouldn't be that difficult to do, especially since I have my iPhone with me all the time. I'm aiming for a picture a day, but it's a loose goal. If I don't get one a day, I know I'll have at least 7 over the course of a week to make my layouts.

I've already purchased my Core Kit {I got the Clementine this year} and page protectors, I just need to get the coordinating album ordered and I will be on my way {actually, I'll be on my way before the album gets here, but you get the idea.}

Another fun plan - I gave 3 of my 4 nieces their own Project Life kits for Christmas! {The 4th is too young to have her own yet, but she will someday!} I promised them that we could spend at least one afternoon per month putting together our albums. I loved seeing the girls look back through their pictures that I printed for them, and I can't wait to spend time with them sharing something I love to do.

I also hope to share more around the blog. I really do take a lot of pictures, I just have some issues getting them from the phone/camera/computer to the blog. The goal in my head is to share my Project Life layouts weekly on the blog. For me, that's a pretty lofty goal, so I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself if I miss a week here and there. But, I do like the accountability it would provide me.

Finally, some exciting news for those of us who love Shutterfly - Shutterfly and Becky Higgins have teamed up to create 2 Shutterfly photo books featuring Project Life designs {Clementine and Turquoise}. If you haven't made a Shutterfly book before, you should consider it - it's really easy and not at all time-consuming. And they have a custom path option now that allows you to direct the look of your book if you'd like that option. I plan to use the Shutterfly option to catch up on some of my books from before I was introduced to Project Life and complete at least one book.

So, there you have it. Obviously, I love Project Life, but I would be happy to answer any specific questions you have if you're on the fence about the project. And hopefully in the next few days, you'll be seeing some photos here on the blog of my completed 2011 Project Life Album!

Have a great day, all!

112 Things for 2012

2011-12-27T15:27:00.001-06:00

I typically make a goal or two for myself at the start of the new year, but really, not much comes of it {unless I cheat and know something will be happening, so I make it my goal}. I thought for this year, I'd make a list of things that I'd like to do over the next year, and hopefully keep track of them and check many off the list. Some are things that are gimmes {because I know they'll be happening} and others are things I'd like to do and others are things I have to do. The whole point of this list is that I'd like to do them over the course of the year, not stress about making them happen at the strike of 2012.

Here I go:

1. Pack or eat a healthy breakfast on days I have to work {don’t stop for fast food or skip it}
2. Pack or eat a healthy lunch on days I have to work {don’t stop for fast food or skip it}
3. Plan dinners the night before so we can stop for necessary ingredients or take things out of the freezer to thaw
4. Move closer to Elmwood
5. Donate at least 20 boxes of things to the thrift store before moving
6. Sort and organize all holiday decorations so they are easily accessible
7. Donate holiday decorations that won’t be used prior to the next holiday
8. Start a family
9. Complete 2011 Project Life Album
10. Start & complete 2012 Project Life Album
11. Complete at least one additional Project Life Album from a previous year
12. Print pictures at least once a month from the previous month
13. Work with nieces on Project Life albums, including printing pictures for them monthly
14. Grow my business
15. Blog at least 3 times per week
16. Engage in at least one activity per month to promote my business
17. Take at least 1 picture per day
18. Take pictures during important events/gatherings
19. Plan 1 date night per month with Mike
20. Complete 1 project per month from inspiration found on Pinterest
21. Start an idea binder to keep inspiration from magazines, etc.
22. Visit grandparents at least 1 time a month
23. Plan and work on 1 craft project per month with nieces and nephews
24. Take at least 1 vacation out of state
25. Take at least 1 vacation in state
26. Visit 1 place I’ve never been before
27. Pay off at least 1 credit card
28. Use at least 1 coupon with every grocery purchase
29. Try one new recipe per month
30. Learn to sew
31. Donate items from couponing to an organization in need
32. Take a photography class
33. Make our new house feel like our home
34. Purchase/borrow bikes and go riding on the trail this summer
35. Plan an outing/visit with friends at least once a month
36. Take pictures for my blog posts
37. Create a video to post on my blog
38. Send birthday cards on time to important people when we can’t celebrate in person
39. Create a stash of cards for multiple occasions to have on hand
40. Frame pictures for our home and display them
41. Create a gallery wall in our new house of important/sentimental pictures
42. Work on creating Christmas decorations throughout the year
43. Relax and enjoy December and Christmas preparations
44. Finish all holiday shopping by December 1
45. Wrap and label Christmas gifts so they are under the tree by the end of the first week in December
46. Use my iPhone calendar to help keep me organized
47. Build a stockpile and only shop for perishable items as needed - otherwise, use the stockpile
48. Plant a garden or work with family to have a garden
49. Freeze or can fresh produce to use throughout the following year
50. Take a family picture to display in our home, including both puppies
51. Attend 1 Christmas event in the community {tree lighting, Santa visit, etc.}
52. Visit the local library
53. Become a member of Mike’s church
54. Take all my nieces and nephews to the zoo for the day
55. Go to the Farmer’s Market at least once a month during June/July/August
56. Make homemade rolls for a holiday dinner
57. Drink at least 3 big glasses of water daily
58. Find at least 1 new blog per month to follow
59. Comment on at least 1 blog post per week
60. Host 1 holiday celebration at my house
61. Have a family dinner for no special reason at least every other month
62. Identify a space in our new home for books and make use of it
63. Visit a large flea market/antique show
64. File important paperwork so it’s easily accessible
65. Organize my spice cupboard so it’s not overly full and difficult to find what I’m looking for
66. Utilize my closet
67. Make a plan to complete chores/housekeeping responsibilities on a routine basis
68. Purchase a new vacuum cleaner and use it!
69. Begin filling my home with meaningful decorations that make us happy
70. Make time weekly to create for myself {rather than for customers or gifts}
71. Attempt to make contact with the people who received organs from my mom
72. Send Christmas cards
73. Carve a pumpkin
74. Attend a training/seminar to learn a new skill for work
75. Take a picnic
76. Learn how to use Photoshop
77. Take flowers to the graves of loved ones who have passed away
78. Use my time wisely to eliminate stress
79. Check Etsy and local stores first for gift giving options
80. Plan ahead for gift giving to allow time for shipping or searching for the right gift
81. Complete the Week in the Life project and get photographs into an album or Project Life layout
82. Get my house into a state where I would be comfortable with people dropping in
83. Keep my new house in a state where I’m comfortable with people dropping in
84. Change my mindset that people can drop in on a house that is not perfectly spotless
85. Strive to be more patient with people
86. Get up at least 3 times per week after hitting the snooze button only once {set alarm for the time I want to get out of bed instead of 45 minutes early}
87. Become more active in an attempt to be healthier {and lose weight in the process}
88. Purchase a pair of dress shoes that are cute and do not hurt my feet
89. Send at least 1 “thinking of you” card to someone for no particular reason
90. Make and display an advent calendar
91. Organize my pantry
92. Don’t give up on taking photographs daily if I happen to miss one day
93. Don’t complain about anything for a week
94. Watch a movie I’ve always wanted to see but have never made time to watch
95. Make a custom recipe book {or find my favorite online recipes and pin them onto my Food board on Pinterest}
96. Eat 3 things I’ve never tried before
97. Learn to knit or crochet
98. Make Cold Cookies for Grandma {and Mike & me}
99. Make my own cleaning product rather than buying something
100. Go to the county fair
101. Go to Groundhog Days
102. Don’t swear for a week
103. Identify 25 things that make me happy and find a way to incorporate those things into Project Life
104. Journal in Project Life as I take pictures - complete journaling for the previous month at the start of a new month
105. Visit at least 1 photo booth
106. Take vitamins daily
107. Organize the photos on my computer
108. Clean out refrigerator weekly
109. Send thank you notes in a timely manner
110. Donate expired coupons for military use
111. Create/purchase a family calendar to be used by both Mike & me
112. Say no to things when I don’t have time or am feeling overwhelmed

Whew! That was harder than I thought it was going to be, especially toward the end of the list. I think it's manageable though. And if I don't finish something, then there's always 2013. I don't want this list to be something that creates more pressure for me.

I plan to print this list and include it at the beginning of my 2012 Project Life album {if you actually read the list, you'll notice I hope to be much more dedicated to Project Life this year}, and revisit it every month to see what kind of progress I've made.

Have you thought of your goals or resolutions for 2012 yet? Anyone want to join me in a list of things to accomplish? {It certainly doesn't have to be 112...}

Leave me a note in the comments of your goals for the coming year. Have a great day!

An Amazing Gift

2011-12-19T09:23:00.000-06:00

The best Christmas gift I could have imagined didn't get wrapped up and put under the tree. It wasn't something I knew I wanted or needed. It was something I'll treasure for a long time.

What was it? I let go.

I let go of wanting to do everything this holiday. I let go of feeling like I was a failure if I didn't get everything done. I let go of a lot of the pressure I put on myself to do things just because everyone else is doing them. I let go of my deadlines and my to-do lists and my expectations of myself.

It feels amazing.

I didn't just give this gift to myself. I had the support of my loving husband, who always wants me to be happy. My brother and his girlfriend stepped in and let me switch our Christmas eve dinner to their house instead of mine. Everyone in my life is being extremely patient with me. I couldn't be more grateful.

I don't know what it is about this year, but I couldn't muster the excitement I normally do. It's terribly disappointing, because Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love to decorate our house, shop for gifts, bake Christmas cookies and so on.

I shopped for gifts, but the majority of the things I'm giving are homemade.

I put up two tiny trees decorated with a simple button garland, and I framed this print:

That's it, nothing else. {Feel free to click on the image to expand it, and save it for your personal use.} I brought up some other decorations from the basement, but I'll pack them all away tonight.

I didn't bake a single Christmas cookie. I'll put together a few things at the last minute, and I asked my grandma to make my very favorite cookies from my childhood. Everyone will survive.

The thing is...Christmas isn't about all that. And it feels good to come to that realization - that Christmas won't be ruined because I didn't do these things. I'm not saying that decorating or gift shopping or baking are wrong. Traditions are so much fun, especially at Christmas. But for me, this year, I need to just enjoy some time off. Spend some time with family and friends. Stop stressing.

I've been able to spend more time with my family this year. Tonight, my brother & his girlfriend, my nephew Michael, the hubs and I are going to pile into a car and drive around the area to look at Christmas lights. It was so cool to have my brother tell me he wanted to go to this elaborately decorated farm we used to visit as kids. I wanted to go there too, but didn't want to ask everyone to endure the long trip with me. So glad my brother wants his son to experience the same things we did as kid.

I'm excited for the possibilities the new year will bring. There's so much on the horizon and I can't wait to see how it all turns out. I'm already starting to feel energized about my 2012 Project Life {and my resolution to actually use it throughout the year instead of waiting til then end!} I also have some exciting news to share {hopefully soon} about a new direction for Vogt Design Co.

I probably won't be blogging again before Christmas, so I hope everyone who is reading has a very happy holiday season and has the opportunity to enjoy the blessings in your lives!

Play

2011-12-12T11:09:00.000-06:00

Short post today, as I didn't really plan to be back to blogging quite yet, but here I am...

I'm disappointing everyone these days, most of all myself. There just isn't enough time in the day to get everything done that I need to. I'm ridiculously over-committed, and it's no one's fault but my own. There hasn't been a day that's gone by the last few weeks where I haven't thought that I failed at something.

I'm trying. I'm working harder than I have since college (when I was younger and full of positive energy and had many things to look forward to). I know it's not enough, but I promise, it's all I have.

If I've disappointed you lately, I sincerely apologize. If it's any comfort, I'm twice as disappointed in myself.

Crossing my fingers that this will turn around after the holidays, if not sooner. I desperately need some peace.

Pause

2011-11-11T15:36:00.000-06:00

I'm taking what I hope will be a short blogging break. I need to focus on life, get through each day, and look forward to whatever the future holds.

I'll be back soon!

Don't Forget Thanksgiving!

2011-11-03T13:55:00.000-05:00

Source: piccsy.com via Jess on Pinterest

So I saw this on my friend Jess' Pinterest board {and several times after} and couldn't help but laugh. And then I saw this and pinned it:

Source: fasthorseinc.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Now, don't get me wrong. I adore Christmas. I'm pretty sure I posted about decorating in September. Yup, I did. At my "real" job, we're thinking about Christmas in August or September. For crafty projects, I'm normally trying to think about it before then. For personal stuff...well, I fit it in where I can.

But, when I walked into Hobby Lobby back during the Week in the Life project in late July and saw Christmas decorations...well, that was it for me. July?? Are you kidding me. What about back to school, tailgating, Halloween & Thanksgiving? Are they just chopped living compared to Christmas?

So, in honor of not forgetting about Thanksgiving, I thought I'd post some Pinspiration {ha, I crack myself up!} for fall and Thanksgiving.

Source: firstladyofthehouse.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I just love everything about this. The wreaths, the mirrors, the way the mirrors are hung. I'd love to have this in my new entry way next year {we'll move in just before Christmas}.

Source: designbykelli.com via Kelli on Pinterest

This banner is great...very rustic, my preferred style of fall decorating.

Source: 5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com via Fran on Pinterest

I actually think this might be a little cuter {and more universally fall} without the "thanks" lettering on the bottles, but overall, it's a really cute vignette.

Source: theheartoftheseahome.typepad.com via Lisa on Pinterest

I love everything about this. I wish I had a table big enough for something like this...one day, in my dream home, I will!

I think it's so easy to forget about living in the moment and look ahead to things that have to get done or that are more exciting than a holiday that doesn't include caroling or candy canes or piles of presents. But by rushing by, I fear that people are missing out on the opportunity to give thanks for the blessings in their everyday life.

Plus, stuffing and pumpkin pie are really quite delightful!

Happy Wednesday, all!

Time

2011-11-02T10:26:00.003-05:00

Time has almost no meaning for me these days! It's sort of crazy how it flies by, disappears so quickly, or drags on when I don't want it to. Anxiety and anticipation and stress and planning all seem to have taken over the reality of time and given me a whole new schedule lately.

A few weeks ago, Mike & I were talking one night and I said to him, "Something needs to change. We need something new to look forward to in our lives. I don't care what it is - a vacation, a new job, a new house...just something new." At the time, that statement seemed so overwhelming and impossible. Funds are tight and we already took a trip to Texas this summer, so vacation wasn't happening. Home searches are overwhelming, so we weren't going there. And we were both in good jobs, even if they didn't make us particularly happy.

I guess it's true what they say, be careful what you wish for. Fast forward to now. Mike has a new job {that he seems to like so far}, I won't have a job soon {so I'll need a new one}, and we have a new house {or we will in 33 days...eep!}

Holy. Crap.

On top of all that fun, Vogt Design Co. seems to have taken off a little and I've been busier than ever with orders. I love it. I'm thinking of new ways to expand my business and I couldn't be more thrilled to get them under way. At the same time though, it's so completely overwhelming. Do I really have enough confidence in myself to make a "real" business out of what I do? Not just a sad little Etsy store, but a business where people might actually want to buy what I make on a regular basis? Weird.

Oh, and did I mention that I decided back in September that I wanted to make the Christmas gifts I was giving this year? I decided I could supplement with things I purchased and I would obviously need to buy supplies to make things, but I was going to try to make the bulk of our gifts this year. Yeah, that couldn't have been worse timing! I'm still committed to the idea, but the projects have changed just a little.

So, like I said, time doesn't have a lot of meaning for me anymore. I work until I'm too exhausted to stay awake, and then I sleep. My alarm still goes off at 4:30am whether I went to bed at 8:30pm {like I'd prefer} tossed and turned all night because my mind won't shut off. I sleep where I can {normally in the car on the way to or from work} because every little bit helps. I work where I can, take entirely too many notes and make too many lists, and hope that my health holds out.

And no matter how much I think I can't do it anymore, the truth is, I can. I may yawn a bit more. I may be a bit attached to my iphone. I may depend on Mike to hold me up.

It will all get done, and I will enjoy doing it.

Procrastination

2011-10-31T09:32:00.001-05:00

While looking around on Pinterest last week, I came across this:

Source: photoshopskillz.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

It was like walking into a brick wall for me. I woke up. I looked around and realized that work doesn't have to be like it is for me. It doesn't have to be stressful. I don't have to dread getting out of bed. It doesn't have to be a chore...

The timing of this was incredible. Chances are, I won't have a job {at least not here} at the end of the year. This isn't a new feeling for me, unfortunately. Working in a non-profit, I get that cuts have to be made each year. The economy stinks, we lose money every year, blah blah blah. I won't go into my feelings, because they're mostly things I don't want to put into writing and then throw out for the world to read, but let's just say there's a lot of bitterness and anxiety in my world right now. I'm tired of being the one who will jump to help everyone, and the first one on the list of positions to be cut because I'm "non-essential." It's not a good feeling, and I'm done with it.

Nothing is set in stone, of course. I haven't charted my course yet. But there are so many things I'd rather be doing than this. Or another job like this. When I think about how I spend my time procrastinating, I see a distinct pattern:

DIY
Handmade anything
Blogs
Crafts
Home decor
Stationery
Weddings
Photography

I appreciate creativity. I appreciate people who take the time to make things themselves. I appreciate Etsy and people who buy locally. I appreciate handcrafted treasures that I know are one of a kind. These are all things I strive toward when creating stationery for my customers {or whatever else I'm making.}

So, I'm challenging myself to find a role where I can do what makes me happiest while still contributing to my family. I have a couple of ideas in the works {I'll share more when I have some details worked out} that I couldn't be more excited about.

In the meantime, I'll be looking to spend my time doing things I enjoy. What about you...what do you do when you procrastinate?

Happy Monday all!

Well-Meaners

2011-10-25T08:14:00.000-05:00

Since agreeing to buy our new home last Saturday, we've had some well-meaning remarks that make me cringe a little. I don't typically associate with mean people, so I'm sure that everything that has hurt my feelings has been well-meaning.

I'm completely in love with our new home. I know I have some blinders on {as one does with new love}, but I see so many great things for our family in the house. I already feel like it will be a wonderful home for us and our pups and whatever other little creatures may come our way in the future.

However, in an attempt at documenting everything that's going on in the process, I wanted to write about {and address} some of the things people have said to me/us over the last couple of weeks.

Well-Meaner #1: Why would you give up your beautiful farm for a little house in town?

I've written about how hard it will be to leave our farm. It's not really something I expected to do when we bought it 3 years ago. But, the reality is that our new house is equally beautiful for a number of different reasons. We're not giving up on anything. We're making a decision to leave behind a wonderful piece of property and a house that has been our home for 3 years. I know the next owners, whoever they might be, will love it just as much as we have. It was such a difficult decision to come to, but it's one we thought carefully about for a long time. And, for the record...the houses are the same size as far as square feet goes...they're just laid out in different ways.

What we are giving up, however, is a lot of driving {both to see our families and to go to work}. We're giving up a distance that separates us from of the people we're closest to in the world. We're giving up a lot of unnecessary things that we've collected over the last few years. We're giving up spending a lot of extra money on a mortgage payment.

Well-Meaner #2: Oh, you must not need a large kitchen.

Let me start out by saying that while our new kitchen isn't as large as our current kitchen, I don't feel like it's a small kitchen by any means. I also feel like we have the same amount of counter space and storage {I think we actually have more cabinets and drawers}.

Does one actually need a large kitchen? Does the size of my kitchen affect how the food I cook there tastes? Does anyone actually care how much square footage is available when they're laughing together over a meal? I'm going to go with "no" on these items, and they're really all that matter to me. I love that our kitchen is open, I love that it overlooks both the dining room and the living room, and I love that no matter what common area Mike & I are in, we'll be able to spend time together. It's very rare that we're actually doing the same thing at the same time, so we find ourselves separated even when we're home together - this "small" but open kitchen will eliminate that issue.

Well-Meaner #3: You'll regret giving up your house. Think carefully.

No. I won't. I may miss it from time to time {probably often, especially in the fall}, but I won't regret the move. I have very few regrets in my life, and this won't be one of them. Every new adventure is a joy and a challenge all at once, but every single thing that's happened to me in my life has been a blessing. Sometimes it takes a little time to figure out why, but it's there if you look hard enough.

Additionally, Mike & I are generally thoughtful people. We don't tend to rush into big decisions {especially Mike, he's very cautious}, we like to look at every angle, and I like to analyze things to death. I'm a little offended, Well-Meaner #3, that you think we wouldn't have thought this through before making a step.

I'm not addressing any of these comments on my blog to "call anyone out." I did that when the comment was made to the person who made it. I don't enjoy defending my actions & decisions {and I don't do it very often}, but I'm extremely proud of this new house and our decision to make the move. And to give proper credit to my friends and family, everyone has said how beautiful the new house is and how they can't wait to see it and appreciate all the little details.

Home is truly where the heart is. It will be in this new house, it's in our current house, and it was in our tiny apartment before this. As much as I've loved and will love the buildings we reside in together {well, maybe not the apartment so much!}, they're just buildings. It's love & family & friends that makes those buildings special...seeing my puppies run around the yard or having friends over to watch a movie or having the floor covered in wrapping paper after Christmas dinner.

So, Well-Meaners, I appreciate your opinions. If we weren't so close, I know you wouldn't have shared them with me. I know you're looking out for our best interests. I know you want to help us see clearly when making this decision. Rest assured, we are thrilled with our new house and can't wait to make it our new home.

Remember Your Manners and Some Cute Kids

2011-10-24T08:49:00.001-05:00

Good morning!

I found out this morning that some photos I've taken and posted publicly are being used by others as their own. Not cool. I really don't post a ton of original pictures, so I didn't think this would be an issue for me, but apparently it has been. I try very hard to give credit where it is due when I post other's pictures {Pinterest is extremely helpful in that regard.} I was pretty livid this morning when I found out and my husband {who isn't what I would call creative} asked why it was such a big deal. Which calmed me down, because I want to give people the benefit of the doubt - maybe if you don't create things and post them on the Internet, then you don't get the "etiquette." Good rule of thumb though - give credit where it's due. We all learned at a pretty young age not to cheat. We know it's not right to steal someone's research and pass it off as our own. I can't take a copy of Huck Finn, cross out Twain's name, and write my own. Using that same logic, it's probably not okay to take a picture someone else took and post it on your blog or Facebook as your own. It's not okay to take credit for a project that was made by someone other than yourself. Remember your manners, kids. {I hope the stealers actually read what I write and not just steal my pictures.}

This happy little development means I'll be adding watermarks to my original pictures. As I said on Facebook this morning, yay for more work.

Alrighty, teaching moment over. Moving on to some pictures of really cute kids I took this weekend :) If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you've seen my nieces and nephew make appearances before. We had a lot of fun with a quick picture session yesterday since it was time for a new family picture. Here are just a couple of what we ended up with:

That's all I've got for today. This last week was extremely busy, so I'm still trying to get back on some sort of a regular sleeping/working/not working schedule {though there isn't a lot of time for things other than work and sleep right now}...hoping get started on packing and cleaning this week. Oh, we had our home inspection last Thursday, everything was good, and it looks like we're on track to move at the beginning of December! So glad to have that hurdle done...now on to packing up a LOT of stuff :)

Happy Monday all!

Yippee!!

2011-10-17T10:31:00.000-05:00

We got the house!! Yay :) I'm so excited, this weekend was extremely emotional and so good in so many ways. The best things in our life happen in the fall and this new development is no exception.

*Photo disclaimer...most of these were taken in the evening with some not so great lighting...I will get better ones once we're moved in and have a bright day!

{View of the stairway from the front door}

Of course, I'll be adding all this to my Project Life album, should I ever actually include some content beyond the page protectors and title cards, so I wanted to blog a little about what I can remember {and to be honest, I'll probably just print this and put it in the album}. {Be prepared for a long post, with lots of pictures!}

{View of the entry from the living room}

Friday:
I was extremely nervous all day and unfocused. We had scheduled an appointment with the current home owners to have another viewing and take everything in one more time. We also invited Mike's parents and his brother and sister-in-law to come with us for a "fresh" view - I was really nervous that my vision was clouded by how much I wanted to live in this house. I was so certain that this house was perfect for us, I was nervous that we might be disappointed seeing it for the second time. I also had thoughts of the house being sold by the time we got there - this happened to us a couple of times the last time we bought a house, so it wasn't completely unrealistic.

{Living room}

Turns out, I had nothing to be nervous about. The house was as beautiful as ever and I could really see us living there. Keri & Mark, the current owners, are awesome people and we loved chatting with them {in fact, we stayed to visit with them for 4 hours that evening!} My in-laws seemed to like the house as well, which is awesome...I know they would have been honest with me if we were missing something major.

{Kitchen}

When we left for the evening, it was 10:15, but I was on the phone to our realtor, telling her we wanted to make an offer. We set up some time to meet with Mark & Keri the next day and hash out the details of our offer. When we finally got home at 10:45 {for the first time since leaving for work at 6am that morning} we were exhausted, but really excited about this new possibility.

{Main floor bath}

Saturday:
We met with Mark & Keri and our realtor to discuss the offer. Our realtor told us it could be a lengthy process and could take a few hours. I was nervous again, though not as much this time, that something wouldn't work out. We really wanted this house! We worked together on some paperwork, Mark & Keri stepped out of the house {how awkward, we kicked them out of their own house!} so we could discuss the offer, and then we kicked ourselves out so they could think it over. The whole process didn't take more than an hour before our realtor sat us all down and said:

Congratulations, you just bought a house!

It didn't seem real! It still doesn't, to be honest. We were all so excited because I think that everyone got exactly what they were hoping for.

{Fire place}

We're planning to close and take possession on December 5th, which gives us just under 2 months. I love that we'll have so much time to pack and get our house in order because we were thinking this is something we wouldn't be worried about until next year! We can take our time, throw out and donate A LOT of things we don't need to move with us, and make sure that we're only moving the things that we really will use and value in our new home.

{Beautiful bay windows in what will become my craft studio/office}

The scary news is that because we close on a Monday, we won't be able to move in until December 10 {we can move some little things, of course, but the major stuff won't happen until we can have a lot of help}. That gives me exactly 2 weeks to get an entire house unpacked and decorated for Christmas, because I'm hosting Christmas eve dinner at my house!

{What will become the guest room}

Man, is that petrifying. It's hard enough for me to get everything done in the month of December, between buying and wrapping gifts, decorating, cleaning, working, getting Christmas cards out, etc. Now I've got to throw packing, moving, and unpacking in as well! But, if there was ever motivation to get it all done, this is it.

{Master bath vanity}

As thrilled as I am to be moving into this new home, I'm also a little sad. I love our current home so much. It's the first home Mike & I bought together, it was where we planned our wedding, and where we spend the first two years of our marriage. It's where I first fed a cow his bottle, where I had my first garden, and the only home our Abby Gator has ever known. It makes me so sad to think that in just a few months, we'll probably never see it again. I fell in love with this house from the minute I saw it, and it has been an amazing place to live.

{Master bedroom}

So, it's been a whirlwind of a weekend and these next couple of months are going to be pretty insane too! It's such an exciting time though, I'm just trying to focus on things and really live in the moment - enjoy the process, enjoy the last few weeks in our current home, and enjoy the process of thinking about how to turn this new house into our home.

Have a great week all!

Today...

2011-10-14T08:34:00.001-05:00

Today my mind is focused in one place. Can't think of anything else...but I need to try...

At least for a few seconds, instead of thinking, "House, house, house," I'm thinking, "Awww...squishy!

Happy Friday all!

Uh-Oh....

2011-10-13T08:07:00.002-05:00

Looks like I'm having a little technical difficulties with the blog and with posting...hopefully I'll have it fixed soon. Sorry for any half finished posts that made their way into your Google Reader {at least, one random one showed up in mine!}

Happy Thursday, all!

Fingers Crossed

2011-10-10T11:44:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday all!

I'm terrible at getting my hopes up and then getting disappointed by things. I set really high expectations and, often, life falls short. That's okay...disappointment really just means that I cared enough to want something. However...I thought it might be a fun post to write about what I'm hoping for today.

Fingers crossed, we will have many more happy years of marriage beyond these first 2 {Happy Anniversary, Husband!}

Fingers crossed, the beautiful house we visited yesterday will be our home one day.

Fingers crossed, dinner tonight will be an awesome, stress-free time for us to talk about some big decisions in our life.

Fingers crossed, the apple spice cake I ordered from our lovely cake baker and friend at Drizzles {check Mary Pat out here on Facebook} will taste as amazing as it did on our wedding day 2 years ago {who knew she'd come up with a creation that we love even more than red velvet?}

Fingers crossed, it won't snow today like it did on our wedding day :)

Fingers crossed, I'll get my last Halloween-themed printable collection listed on Etsy this week before it's too late.

Fingers crossed, the stressful part of this year is almost done and we can take time to enjoy the very best {in my opinion} time of the year...autumn, football season, Thanksgiving & Christmas.

Fingers crossed, Mike's new job {that he started today} will be an awesome opportunity for him and he will love it just as much as he loved his old job.

It's so nice to be hopeful about things, to look forward to changes that are coming our way, and to know that no matter what happens, I have the best husband to share all of it with! I'm feeling extremely blessed right now!

I hope you all have something to be hopeful about!

Roller Coaster

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

Good morning all!

I think I've talked before about how we found our house 3 years ago {probably almost to the day...} The husband {then fiance} and I had been house-hunting for almost 6 months. We'd put in offers on 4 other farms to have them all rejected for one reason or another. We'd even looked in town thinking that farm living might not be right for us. Nothing happened. One day I was in my office and got a text from Mike telling me to check out a listing he'd emailed to me. It was love at first sight. There were about 10 pictures in the listing and every single one of them made me feel like we were going to make this place our home. We called our realtor right away and asked if we could see it. We went that night, fell in love, jumped around a little bit, and asked her to put in an offer the following morning. Within 48 hours of seeing the listing, the house was ours. After months of emotional highs and lows, we finally had a place to call ours.

Now that we're talking about moving, I feel like we're at the bottom of a big hill on a roller coaster, once again. We had so many ups and downs during the first hunt, I swore we'd never go through it again. It was painful and exciting and frustrating and joyful and 6 months of anxiety for me {and to a lesser degree, my husband...he's much more laid back than I am}. Yet here we are, ready to make the leap once again.

We saw a house last night in passing that's almost exactly what we're looking for. Again, we've only seen the listing, but something about that tells me it's special. Now let me be clear here - we're not even technically looking yet. We decided not to put our house on the market until at least spring for a number of reasons, and we promised each other not to look until the house was at least on the market {but preferably sold}. The reason for that is exactly what happened last night - dealing with the disappointment of knowing we can't have this house. Wondering if we'll regret that we couldn't buy it, or comparing future houses we look at to a house we can't possibly buy.

Am I ready for this roller coaster again? There's so much going on in our lives right now and in the foreseeable future. Can we add all these emotions as well? I don't know. Add to the mix the sadness of leaving a house a love. A farm I wanted to see our future children running around. Is this something we really want to do? {Yet another reason to wait until spring to list the house...we need to be sure this is right for us.} When we moved before, we weren't leaving anything behind. This time, we'd be leaving a lot...memories, our first home together, lots of time and hard work. However, we'd be gaining a lot as well.

We have a lot to think about over the next few weeks and months. A lot of work to do. A lot of decisions to make. Either way, it looks like we've both signed up for a ride on this roller coaster.

I hope whatever roller coasters you're riding in your lives are worth the ups and downs! Have a great Wednesday :)

Spooky Soiree Printable Collection by Vogt Design Co.

2011-10-04T11:46:00.001-05:00

The Spooky Soiree Printable Collection features elegant black and white party decoration designs that are perfect for upcoming Halloween parties. I personally see these designs as great for an adult party (I'll be featuring another collection, Fright Night, shortly that is geared more toward family parties)...but that doesn't mean you couldn't dress up these classic designs with some bright orange pumpkins and jars of candy corn to make it a traditional Halloween event. You can check out the Etsy listing here: Spooky Soiree Printable Party Collection

I created this collection to give you a variety of paper goodies for your party decor.

Here's the screenshots of the entire collection. You'll receive these as PDF files within 48 hours of your payment.

Digital files allow you to make the party your own! Prefer vanilla cardstock to white for a vintage look? Go for it! Want to add some bling to your favors with a glittery black ribbon...great idea! The sky is the limit when it comes to using the elements in this digital file. The only thing I would ask is that you keep them for your personal use and please don't share them with friends or family {at only $5 for the collection, share the link to my Etsy store so they can purchase their own copies!}

When I stage a party, it's a snapshot of how the party would look if I hosted it myself. Of course, those are just suggestions and there are so many different ways you could host a Milk & Cookies party using this collection. I started a pinboard on Pinterest for Halloween themed parties, so make sure you check it out here: Halloween Parties Pinboard on Pinterest

As always, everything I create is able to be customized. I had a vision for this party that you can see the pictures above, but maybe you'd like something different - a different color scheme or a different saying on the banner. I'd be happy to do customization to the basic design for a small fee, or create a completely custom collection for your upcoming party. Just send me an email or convo me on Etsy and we'll iron out the details.

I hope you're inspired to throw you own Spooky Soiree, with the help of the Spooky Soiree Printable Party Collection.

Thanks for visiting Vogt Design Co.!

Milk & Cookies Party Printable Collection by Vogt Design Co.

2011-10-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

The Milk & Cookies Printable Collection is something I think would be extremely cute for a 1st or 2nd birthday party or a baby shower. But hey, I love cookies, and my 30th is next year, so if anyone wants to throw me a grown-up Milk & Cookies party, I wouldn't complain! You can check out the Etsy listing here: Milk & Cookies Printable Party Collection

I created this collection to give you all the signs and labels you'll need for your Milk & Cookies buffet.

And here's some screen shots of the PDF files you will receive within 48 hours of your payment clearing:

The great thing about digital files is that it saves you time and money in the end! For $5, you'll be getting the original files, which includes the option to customize your Designer Labels if you don't want the standard version {which include the milk varieties}. Customizing these labels is completely free, so I would highly encourage you to take advantage of that option!

Digital files allow you to make the party your own! Prefer vanilla cardstock to white for a vintage look? Go for it! Want to add some paper rosettes behind the letters on the Milk & Cookies banner...great idea! The sky is the limit when it comes to using the elements in this digital file. The only thing I would ask is that you keep them for your personal use and please don't share them with friends or family {at only $5 for the collection, share the link to my Etsy store so they can purchase their own copies!}

When I stage a party, it's a snapshot of how the party would look if I hosted it myself. Of course, those are just suggestions and there are so many different ways you could host a Milk & Cookies party using this collection. I started a pinboard on Pinterest for this theme of a party, so make sure you check it out here: Milk & Cookies Pinboard on Pinterest

As always, everything I create is able to be customized. I had a vision for this party that you can see the pictures above, but maybe you'd like something different - a different color scheme or a different saying on the banner. The Collection includes free customization for the Designer Labels only, but I'd be happy to do additional customization for a small fee, or create a completely custom collection for your upcoming party. Just send me an email or convo me on Etsy and we'll iron out the details.

I hope you're inspired to throw you own Milk & Cookies party, with the help of the Milk & Cookies Printable Party Collection.

Thanks for visiting Vogt Design Co.!

Introducing...Printable Collections by Vogt Design Co.

2011-10-03T09:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday all!

This is a post I meant to write last Monday, but Sunday a cold/flu/something punched me in the face and I've been knocked out ever since. I thought I was getting better toward the end of last week, but I may have done too much this weekend after an entire week of nothing. I don't sit still very well, so I was dying to get out of the house. Apparently, one trip out and I was done. I spent all day yesterday on the couch, wishing for another day of naps and praying for an end to what seems to be the longest cold/flu/something ever. {I'm a bit over-dramatic. I'm not dying, and I'll be fine. I just haven't really been sick since the swine flu incident prior to my wedding. Not a fun memory.}

Anyway, I decided to start creating some printable collections to list in my Etsy store. I haven't been feeling much in my craft room lately, but I have been spending a lot of time behind the computer, and this is a happy medium, I think. I've been making labels, favor tags, birthday decor, etc. for quite awhile now, but didn't ever think of making pretty printable versions to sell. You can check out a couple of my printed goodies that I've shared before by clicking here {Last Minute Valentines, Michael's Birthday Preview, Happy Birthday Michael!}

You can check out my Etsy store here: Vogt Design Co. for a sneak preview {okay, not really, these have been listed for a week}, or you can look for posts to come. I'll be introducing at least a couple of the sets individually, and I have 3 or 4 more to list this week as soon I'm feeling well enough to take appropriate photos of them. It's a giant pain in the rear to not be able to do something you want to do right away! I'll hopefully also be including some Pinterest inspirations to help you in creating an entire party in the theme of the printable collection. {You may even see more than one post from me today.}

Have a great week everyone!

Pottery Barn Knock-Off Wreath

2011-09-20T12:03:00.002-05:00

Happy Tuesday, all!

Today I wanted to show you just a couple of my version of the wreath I showed you in my post about outdoor fall decorations:

Source: potterybarn.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I love me some Pottery Barn, but I do not love me some Pottery Barn prices. The large wreath (pictured here) costs $89.50! That is definitely not in my budget, especially considering I have at least 5 perfectly pretty leafy wreaths hanging in my basement as I type.

However, in addition to the 20 or so wreaths I keep on hand, I also have quite a few garlands and other wreath-making supplies that I've purchased as I find them {with grand plans in mind about what I will make}. I had a bunch of leafy garlands leftover from our wedding...I would guess around 15 strands. I purchased them at Michael's on clearance for $1 each. Regular price I believe they're $4. I also snagged a grapevine wreath that I had on hand...I usually don't glue anything down to my wreaths if I can help it so I can change things out as trends change without too much hassle.

I wrapped and twisted and made a huge mess on my living room floor with leaves and berries that fell off the garlands, and I ended up with this:

{I finally get out my real camera to take pictures, and it's dreary and cloudy all day. I give :) }

And here's a close-up:

I absolutely love my bright, leafy Pottery Barn knock-off wreath {that fits my front door much better than either of the PB options would have}. Total cost for me was free because I reused items I'd purchased for other things {however, at the time, they cost me less than $20}. Even if you bought everything regular price, you'd still end up spending less than what PB wanted...but why spend full price when Michael's & Hobby Lobby so willingly give us 40% off coupons??

As you can see from the full picture of my {tiny} front porch, I have a lot of work to do to get everything looking appropriately autumn, but at least I have a pretty start.

I hope everyone has an awesome day!

Outdoor Fall Decor

2011-09-16T08:51:00.003-05:00

Fall is definitely here! I broke out my arm warmers this morning {it was 45 degrees out when I left, woohoo!} and I even wore socks. I love, love, love fall!!

I haven't really had time yet, but I can't wait to get my house decorated for fall, including the outdoors. That's on my list of things to do this weekend {along with watching LOTS of football!} My "outdoor inspiration" board on Pinterest has a lot of really cute ideas, so I thought I'd share some inspiration with you. I think of this as my visual "to do" list.

Source: potterybarn.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I'm completely in love with a lot of things in this photo {and this has to be one of my most "repinned" pins on Pinterest} The wire "Welcome" is very similar to something I've been doing on gifts for awhile now on a much smaller scale {and they normally say things like, "Baby" or "Merry"}. I'd never thought of doing something like that on a large scale, but I might just try it. The wreath on the door {LOVE that door, by the way} is something I've been meaning to make with some leafy garlands I have left over from my wedding decor. I love the jars hanging from the coat rack, and that bench is amazing {but I can almost guarantee it's out of my price range}.

Source: google.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Here's another fun one. I love the idea of painting on pumpkins rather than carving them, even though I love to carve up a good jack-o-lantern. That vintage wheel barrow is adorable too!

Source: midwestliving.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

The square wreath here is really unique {I love square wreaths for fall & winter} and I love the table of pumpkins. It looks pretty casual, which I like...though I don't know of anyone who has a random table of pumpkins at their front door just by chance.

Source: google.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

There's a lot I love about this photo as well. I've been meaning to paint a welcome mat for our front door {the door the dogs don't use, so hopefully it wouldn't get destroyed immediately}. I also love how they stood a hay bale on end for more height with the decor. I probably won't be doing that, given my recent {18 months ago but still terrifying} experience with hay bales and snakes.

There's a lot of inspiration on Pinterest, so I'll just stop there, but I can't wait to get my hands on all the decorations I've got tucked away in my basement {if I can find them that is}.

This weekend is packed full of fall fun, and I can't wait. Lots of football, family, & friends, a trip to the apple orchard and a birthday party. It's exactly what I need after this very long week.

Have a great weekend all!

Unity Candle Song

2011-09-15T11:22:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I planned my wedding, but one thing I remember when we were picking out ceremony music was how extremely hard it was to choose a song for our Unity Candle lighting. I knew it couldn't be long {because I didn't want to awkwardly stand there while it finished} but since it was part of the ceremony, I wanted it to be meaningful to us. Needless to say, it wasn't an easy task, and I went for an instrumental version of a song we liked...though I doubt many of our guests "got it".

Anyway, I love when I'm listening to Pandora at work and things randomly pop up that I LOVE. This is one of them...which I think would make an excellent candle lighting song {or sand ceremony or whatever it is you chose to do}. I'm sure there are others more on top of things than me that have already made this connection, but I wanted to share this beautiful song anyway...

I love it!

Keeping It Real

2011-09-15T09:20:00.000-05:00

I know I've talked before about how I like to use this blog as a journal, in addition to posting pretty pictures. I hope that when I finally sit down with my Project Life and need some help remembering the journaling {because I've been terrible about keeping up with things} that my blog will help.

I wanted to write today about some realities in my life, as of today:

I adore fall. My mood improves drastically from the first signs of fall until the day after Christmas. Then I fall into a ridiculous funk and can't wait for spring. I'm thrilled beyond words that fall seems to be arriving a little earlier this year.
I'm craving change. I know a lot of people are uncomfortable with change, but I'm definitely not one of them. I love it when things change around me. It challenges me and makes me feel alive. I'm motivated and inspired to change my routines. Things have been a little too predictable lately and I don't like it.
I'm not sleeping well. I've never had great sleeping habits - I either sleep too little or nap too long or can't get out of bed in the morning without a serious fight. It seems like all of these things are going on right now and I really don't like it. I've been having some extremely vivid dreams lately which is making it hard to get a good night's sleep {they're normally not bad dreams, although the ones that are nightmares are beyond terrifying}. I'm exhausted.
I'm missing my mom a lot right now. I go through periods were I feel very calm about the situation. This is one of those times where I'm not sure how I've gone so long without talking to her. I can't think of another person I'd like to turn to right now for answers to my questions and comfort and laughs. I still talk with her every day, but right now, I'd really like it if she could answer me back.

I love Pumpkin Spice Lattes. It's a simple pleasure. I don't have a Starbucks habit most of the year, but during the fall, I definitely make up for it.
I'm not getting crafty. I have a running list on my phone of crafty ideas. I stalk Pinterest like crazy for ideas and inspiration. I have a binder of tutorials for things I'd like to try. And yet, I'm not doing anything about it. I can't really figure out why I'm not wanting to get in my craft room and create {although one idea is that it's disastrously messy right now and I couldn't even find my table last time I was in there}. My motivation to create has always been off and on...I guess this is an "off" time.
Time is moving too fast. It's already the middle of September. It feels like just yesterday that it was still 100 degrees and I was praying that summer would finally be over. I remember when I was younger and time seemed to last forever. Now even the bad days go by way too quickly. Maybe there's too much in my schedule. Maybe there's not enough and I'm wasting time. I want to be able to figure out what the deal is so I can enjoy what's going on right now and life doesn't pass me by!
Yesterday was exactly what I needed. I took the day off at the last minute so I could catch up on sleep and relax a little. I felt myself getting overwhelmed at work, not working as hard as I should, and focusing on a lot of negative things. I unplugged yesterday - didn't check Facebook, didn't read any blogs, didn't really even watch TV. I read a book, cuddled with Molly, played with Abby {until I saw she killed a mouse, and then I tried not to puke on Abby}, and started making some cake balls. I even caught up on some laundry. I'm glad I admitted to myself that I was needing some time away and that I actually took it.
My feelings can get hurt. This shouldn't be earth shattering news, and of course I realize that I can be hurt by people I love. I have reasonably thick skin when it comes to others though, and I realized that even when I don't expect it, little things can still hurt me. I was also reminded that even when we didn't realize it, my parents did a wonderful job with my brother and I in the way of being polite and minding our manners. I'm thankful that they raised me to be considerate of others in my actions - big or small.

That's a pretty good snapshot of my life right now, I think. There is a lot going on! It's really important for me to reflect on things from time to time - to say them out loud {or in this case, write them down} - and acknowledge what makes me happy and what I want to work on. So, if you've made it this far, thank you for sticking with me! If not...well, I hope it's because you're taking time to reflect on your own life. Or...that you stepped out to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Have a great day!

Moving?

2011-09-13T11:19:00.000-05:00

I don't think it's any secret how much I love my house. I literally jumped up and down when we look around the place because I knew it was meant to be ours. For almost 3 years now, it's been our home and I can't imagine not having it be a part of our life.

Or, at least, I thought I couldn't. I don't know what triggered it specifically {there are a number of things I think might have contributed, but nothing I can point to and say, "Yup, that's it}, but we're considering moving sometime in the next few years. For most people, this isn't monumental news. For us, it kind of is. When we were looking for houses, we were looking with the idea that this would be our forever home. We would have a family, raise them, kick them out {haha}, and then let them back in for holidays and when they blessed us with grandbabies and such.

The only thing we didn't love about our house is where it's located. I love Unadilla, don't get me wrong. The thing I don't love about it is that it's not Elmwood {where the husband is from}. I miss being close to his {our} family & friends. I hate driving the extra 20 miles to and from work. I love our little town, but I don't feel connected to it the way I hoped I would. Even though we haven't lived in Elmwood for almost 3 years, and I only lived there for about 4 months, I feel much more at home there.

So, moving....that's not something I EVER wanted to do again. In fact, I swore I wouldn't ever do it again. I moved 19 times between the ages of 18 and 26 {when we moved into our house}. Let me say that again...19 times. It was ridiculous. I hate packing, I hate patching walls, I hate going through things, I hate it all. And yet, we're considering it again {honestly, the moving part of it is the only reason we have to consider anything...we really don't want to move.}

There are quite a few options out there for what we could do. Top of my list is building a new house in the country. Like these, if we had all the money in the world...

Yeah, I'm noticing a trend. White houses that are WAY too big for us :) But they're pretty...and maybe the house we end up in will be white {though I doubt it, because my husband loves brick}.

Option 2 is to wait until one of the farms we love comes up for sale. There are a few we've had our eye on since we started looking for this house, almost 3 and a half years ago. Mike's probably had his eye on them for longer. It's not exactly the best laid plan, because we're at the mercy of people we don't know.

Option 3 is to buy a house in town. We've talked about how I'm a city girl at heart, but I've been ridiculously spoiled living in the country the last 3 years. I love the silence and the privacy. I love that people have to call before they come over because no one wants to drive to where we live only to find out we're not home. However...being in town, around people we love, would be kind of fun. Plus, it would allow us to save some serious money {I can pretty much guarantee that our house payment would go down if we bought a place in town}. I still think that if we went this route, it would only be a temporary option. I know my husband wants to live on a farm, and I sort of like it too!

Option 4 is to stay where we are and make the best of things. This list isn't in order of our preferences by any means. I love our house so much, and if we stay there, I'll still be thrilled. I was nervous that when we started thinking about all these options I would not be pleased with our house, or I'd feel resentful if we ultimately decide staying put is the best choice for us. Then I got home last night, looked at my puppy running around in her yard, and realized that I couldn't ever be unhappy with our house. If we continue to live there, we will be very blessed.

So, things are a little up in the air at the moment, which I don't like. But, it's fun to imagine possibilities {as long as I don't allow myself to think of packing tape and giant cardboard boxes}.

Does anyone have any experience building a house that they'd like to tell me about? I know the least about that option and could use some advice about the process, costs, etc.

Happiness

2011-09-09T09:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone!

Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend a seminar on wellness and happiness for work. There are days I really love my job - hearing about how to be well for an entire day was one of them.

I heard an interesting presentation on different types of happiness and when we typically feel them in our lives - there's excited happiness, when a person looks forward to certain events, knowing they will bring them happiness, and there's calm happiness, when a person is focused on present events that bring them happiness. Younger people typically feel excited happiness and older people typically feel calm happiness.

I am definitely an excited happy type of person. I'm normally looking forward in life, I get excited very easily, and it sometimes overwhelms me how happy I am about events that are coming. As a result though, I often don't live in the moment and truly enjoy small happinesses I experience everyday.

I decided it was extremely important for me to take joy in everyday life, instead of waiting for the next big, exciting event to come around. I tried to think on my way home about what the happiest day of my life was, excluding things like my wedding, the birth of my nephew, etc. It didn't take me very long to decide that a random fall day 3 years ago was that day.

We had just bought our house, the weather was gorgeous, we had an adorable puppy and were planning our wedding. Honestly, life couldn't have gotten any better for either of us at that point in our lives. I've said before how much I love fall, and I wanted to get outside and explore our new farm with my Molly. So, I grabbed the camera and we stayed outside, roaming around the property for over an hour.

It's a little strange that that day stuck out to me as my most happy, because nothing major happened. I was definitely in a state of calm happiness that day, and I can still remember the feeling like it was yesterday instead of 3 years ago. I would love to have that feeling more often.

I've always been a city girl. I appreciate the hustle and bustle, all the people, the architecture, the opportunities for culture and diversity and never being bored. I thought I would be miserable adjusting to country life, but it didn't take long for me to fall in love with the silence. The stillness of everything around me. I don't have to worry about my puppies running and playing until they're so tired they can't even walk inside the house. It's like we live in a whole other world, and I can't imagine ever having neighbors or traffic or noisy evenings again.

As fall approaches {thank goodness!}, I know I'll have more days like the one I remember so fondly. I know that I will have a much easier time focusing on the present and being happy with what's happening today.

And speaking of present things I'm THRILLED about - tomorrow is the Iowa State / Iowa football game and I couldn't be more excited to watch the Cyclones win in Ames! I'm also loving all the fall cooking I've been doing, and can't wait to sit down to dinner with the family tomorrow night {Mike got to pick his birthday dinner, so I'm making meatloaf, twice baked potatoes, garlic corn, and beer bread...holy food hangover, Batman!}

I hope everyone has a very happy weekend!

Believe It Or Not...

2011-09-08T12:46:00.000-05:00

Hi all!

Believe it or not, I'm already thinking about Christmas decorating. I know what you're thinking...Jen, do you even have your fall decorations up yet? Well, the answer, of course, is no. I don't even know which tote my fall decorations are in since I got into an organizational kick last fall and forgot to finish organizing about halfway through the project. Anyway...

I love to change out my Christmas decorations every year, but that's just not economically possible for me. Or a very good idea for my marriage {since my husband is ridiculously...thrifty, we'll call it}. To remedy these issues, I've decided that if I want new decorations, I either need to find them on clearance after the season or make them myself. I'm pretty sure I didn't buy anything on December 26 last year {though I won't be completely sure of that until I unpack things}, so that means it's up to me to make anything I want to add to my Christmas decor collection.

For me, Christmas is the time to take chances on trendy decor...that way, I'm not out a lot of time/money, and even if I still love it after it's hideously uncool, future visitors will only have about 6 weeks to tell me that my red & white chevron rug is SOOO 2011. {Hey, that's a pretty good idea...red & white chevron rugs for my country kitchen? Add it to the list!}

{From the House Of Smiths - check out Shelly's tutorial here on how to make this one yourself!}

Another thing I'm adding to the list is etching a vintage window to hang in the dining room {perhaps I should also add "finish the dining room redecoration you started last spring" to the list}. I have a ton of vintage windows sitting at around, with a lot of different projects in mind for them.

See, vintage windows. Photo taken 10 minutes ago in my office with my iphone. At my paying job. That has nothing to do with salvaging old windows. Yeah, I'm special.

Anyway, I thought it would be cute to etch a winter/Christmas saying on one of these windows and hang it in my dining room. Sort of like Shelly did here:

I swear, I'm not stalking The House of Smiths, although I do love a lot of what Shelly does, and I read her blog regularly. {To make a complete liar out of me, hopefully in the next few days I'll be able to show you a project I'm working on that's inspired by yet another tutorial I saw on THOS.}

Another trend in home decor that I'd love to jump on is the subway sign. I've done some subway sign art in small form (printed 8x10's) to sell at craft shows, but nothing bold. Mainly because subway art doesn't go with the decor I currently have in my house...but that's why I love the holidays. I feel like it gives me full license to do something completely out of my element. On that note, I'd like to make something like this:

{From Houzz.com via Pinterest}

Cute, right? And the color happens to be all over my house. I'm actually kind of thinking something like this would be fun in my bathroom. Hmm...

Are you sick of Christmas talk yet? I'll stop there, and hopefully have a whole list of things to show you that I've finished making in time for Christmas over the couple of months. Just to keep myself on track, before December 24, I'm to:

Finish decorating the dining room
Paint some rugs
Etch some windows
Make subway art

Seems reasonable, right? Let's see how I do. :) Leave me a comment and tell me if you're already getting into the Christmas spirit!

And before I go for today, I have to wish my handsome husband a very happy birthday! I couldn't be any luckier to have found a guy who puts up with my crazy ideas {see above - Christmas decoration ideas in September}, laughs at my stupid jokes, and still loves me when I make up birthday songs to sing to him, off key, at 6am while dancing Steve Urkel style. How I managed to snag him, I'll never know, but I'm SO glad I did. Happy birthday, husband!!

Moving Forward

2011-09-07T09:04:00.000-05:00

Good morning!

A frequent struggle for me with thinking about what I want to do when I grow up is determining which direction I'd like to go in with my dream. Do I want a brick and mortar stationery store or will an online boutique work better for me? Do I want to design things I like or do I want to take custom orders and work on things my customers are interested in? Where the heck do I find the time to do this while I still have a "real" job, family, friends, puppies, and various household chores to keep up with?

Here's where I should probably answer those questions. Except...I don't have the answers yet. I still have no clue, and while it makes me anxious, there a little bit of comfort in knowing that I don't have to have all the answers right now. What I want to do can grow with me and meet my needs differently over time.

In the meantime, I need to take small steps to actually move forward. I'll never get where I want if I keep standing still {or moving backwards}. Slowly building a new website at work has inspired me to start thinking about a website for Vogt Design Co. {beyond this blog, but blogging will still be a part of it}.

There's nothing exciting about this post except for the cute picture above {via Pinterest}. I don't have a sneak preview of the website to show you. I don't even know what kind of content will be on the site. However, I often use this blog as my journal...to throw ideas out there and see what sticks. To record what I'm thinking about or what I've been up to {normally with the hopes that someday, these stories will make it into a scrapbook}. That's all I'm doing today...throwing the website out there and seeing how long it takes me to make some progress in this area.

Here's hoping all my readers are making progress toward their dreams today!

Home Canning

2011-09-06T09:01:00.000-05:00

Happy {belated} Labor Day!

I hope everyone had a great, relaxing weekend. I love 3 day weekends {that probably goes without saying}, but this weekend was especially great. The weather was amazing..it already feels like fall. There is something about that change in weather that makes me immediately calm and happy. Fall is definitely my season. Husker football started off right with a huge win, and we spent the entire weekend with family.

Which brings me to the point of my post today...home canning. Saturday & Sunday, we spent many, many hours canning all sorts of fruits and vegetables. I can't remember if I've posted about this or not, but one of my longer-term goals is to be as self-sufficient with food products as possible {within reason for the lifestyle we lead}. To me, this means we will butcher our own meat when possible, grow and preserve our own fruits and vegetables, and buy locally whenever possible. We already do all of these things on a smallish scale, but I think as I get more comfortable with living this kind of lifestyle, it will blossom. And, cultivating these kinds of resources do take time...something I have to remind myself often!

Jalapeno salsa, cooking away on the stove. Yum!

When Mike & I first were dating, I had only canned a little...some jams and jellies here and there. I've taught myself the basics and feel pretty comfortable trying new things here and there, and most importantly, have many ideas for making sure fresh produce doesn't go to waste and can be enjoyed throughout the year.

So, this weekend, Mike & I and his sister & brother-in-law spent many hours standing over a steaming hot stove or wielding a knife to chop all sorts of fruits and veggies to go into our mixtures.

Pickled hot peppers & carrots - wow, are they hot!

By the end of the weekend, we had canned {approximately} 36 pints of peaches in light syrup, 20 pints of pickled hot pepper & carrots, 6 pints of peach salsa, 6 pints of peach BBQ sauce, 5+ pints of the jalapeno salsa pictured above {we ate a bunch of this fresh, so I think it would have been closer to 10 pints if we'd canned it all}, and 12 small jelly jars of jalapeno pepper jelly.

Just a few of the jars we managed to process this weekend

I love that we'll be able to access all of those things all year long. My favorite part of summer {one of the only things I actually like} is all the fresh produce...so dragging that out all year is great for me. It's also really nice to be able to do this with someone other than just Mike & myself. Having more hands makes the process faster and we're able to actually get more done that way.

I think we'll probably still preserve some things {tomato based things, apples for sure, and hopefully we'll get some sweet corn frozen soon}, but we have a good handle after this weekend and things we've done over the course of the summer - strawberry rhubarb jelly, carrot cake jelly, danish cherry sauce for cheesecakes, dill pickle spears, and pickled carrots & zucchini.

Alrighty, enough talk about this...my stomach is growling now! I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend, and a great week getting back to work!!

Printable Alphabet Flashcards

2011-09-02T09:59:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday all,

I thought I'd pop in this morning and show you the project I put together as a gift for my nephew. I also wanted to share it with you in case you know someone who could benefit, so look for the free printables at the end of this post!

Every time we hang out with my nephew, Michael, he wants to show us the letters he is practicing writing. If his auntie is unprepared and doesn't have enough paper, then that's a problem for everyone in the area. He loves to write! So, I wanted to figure out a way that he could practice his alphabet without going through a ton of paper. I've seen those white boards at Target and Walmart that look like lined paper. I thought that would be great, but it doesn't really help him with the letters he's still struggling with writing properly. So, I figured it would take me less time to make something than it would to find it in a store and spend money on it.

I came up with this {and, as always, I apologize for the craptasticness of these photos...I seem to have forgotten my good camera at home and had to make do with the iphone camera. I HAVE to get better at that}:

It's just printed on white printer paper and laminated. I printed the letters in yellow so he could use a dry erase marker to "trace" over the top of them and see how they are made. Then below each letter, there's a blank line for him to write the letter on his own, like this:

Since the pages are laminated, the marker will just wipe off and he can start all over again (which I think he's going to love). I made them in both uppercase letters and lowercase letters so he can practice both. {Scroll down to get free printables of both versions!}

I also want him to start associating letters with words. I hope it will help him learn to read, but I mostly did this so he can learn to write other words than his name (which he's getting pretty good at). So, I found some colorful clipart and made him some flashcards!

These are a quarter of a sheet of printer paper. I added the words in yellow below the picture so he has other opportunities to practice writing (and in the case of some of these images, he'll be learning some new words as well). These are laminated also, and are held together with a ring so they don't get lost all over his room (hopefully). He can take them apart to write on and play with, and this gives him a way to put them all back in one spot. His dad can also mix them up if he wants to give him a little more of a challenge than just memorizing that A is for apple, B is for boot and so on :) Same idea with tracing the letters in dry erase marker and wiping them off for next time.

I hope he loves them and that they are actually useful! If not, well, at least they were easy to make :)

Even as easy as they were, I still thought I'd save you some time and share the printables with you so you can use them for your little ones learning to write. Feel free to use these and share them, but I would appreciate if you didn't profit from them in any way. If you click the image it will open a larger version, and you can right click to "save as." If it's easier to use a PDF version, just email me at vogtdesignco@gmail.com and I'll be happy to send it along!

Just a couple tips: before saving, make sure you click on the image and enlarge it as much as possible. After you've printed the page, the cards were designed so you can cut the paper in fourths. You can cut on the short side of the paper at 4.25 inches and on the long side at 5.5 inches.

Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend! {Oh, and Go Huskers!!}

Wedding Etiquette

2011-08-30T11:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday, dear readers!

I have a business related question for you all: if you were asked to do something that you knew wasn't considered to be within the guidelines for proper etiquette but certainly wouldn't kill anyone, would you do it at the request of your customer?

This is something I've been thinking about as I get more requests to have custom wedding invitations made. I was very concerned with etiquette when I was planning my own wedding, because I've always believed that concern for etiquette is really concern for making sure your guests are as comfortable as possible with all things surrounding your event. I even gravitated toward the Etiquette message board when I was planning my wedding (Hi, {P&} E ladies!)

So, when it comes to my customers, should I blatently ignore what etiquette says if my customer requests it? Well...I hope not. I hope that would be an opportunity for me to educate them on what is traditionally done, and why etiquette says it should be one of another. And then, in an ideal world, they'd listen to my brilliance and we'd find another way to go with things :)

However, if they're set in what they want, would I still accept the work? (Or, for that matter, would they even want me to do the work for them?) I can say that I have created some things that violate etiquette - using a married initial within a monogram, for example. {Since things like invitations and aisle runners are used prior to the marriage, the last initial shouldn't be used in monograms, unless the monogram will be exclusively used for something after the couple is wed...for example, a cocktail napkin.} One of my favorite aisle runner monograms ever involved using the couple's last name...which, as you'll see above, is not proper. It was still pretty though.

On the flip side, there are some things I would never do because I find them so tacky I wouldn't want my name associated with them.

I guess what I'm asking is, where should one draw the line? At what point is a payment more important than doing what you know is proper? Now as I said at the beginning of this post, these aren't life and death situations here...but, they are important, especially when it comes to creating things for weddings. {And, come to think of it, my "real" job, which involves a lot of event planning.}

Does etiquette still have a place in today's event planning world? I, obviously, think it does. What do you think? Have we moved beyond etiquette? Have the rules evolved over time? Are matters of etiquette classic and timeless?

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear your feedback...even if you think I'm an old-fashioned nut!

Have a great day, all!

Joy

2011-08-24T08:40:00.001-05:00

Mike & I spent this weekend (Friday - Monday) in San Antonio, Texas. We originally planned the trip down to celebrate with my cousin and his new wife at their wedding, but the weekend turned into so much more than that.

It was truly one of the best weekends I've had in recent memory. Nothing special happened (other than Eric & Karie's beautiful wedding), but the entire trip was spent with family that I don't get to see very often. I loved every single second of it and didn't want it to end. I want to move there and be around that energy all the time.

I can't explain why it was so nice for me other than to just say that I felt like I was right where I was supposed to be. It was exactly what I needed; to relax, move at a completely different pace, and not have to worry about much at all. I won't say I completely disconnected from technology, but I texted less, checked Facebook less, and didn't read a single blog. My Nook stayed in my bag, and I only took pictures at the wedding (which I'm a little bummed about, actually). I just felt the need to experience every moment, instead of texting, Facebooking and taking pictures of other people enjoying what was going on around me.

I've always loved visiting my family in Texas, for reasons that I can't put into words (which isn't a good thing to blog about, I realize...) I'm so glad that Mike was able to experience it with me this time...I think he had just as good a time as I did. When we got in the car to go back to our hotel on Sunday he looked at me and said, "That was so much fun." Anyone who knows my husband knows he's not one to gush about anything. I don't ever remember hearing him say he had fun on a vacation unless I specifically asked him. (Don't get me wrong, I know him well enough to know he has fun when we travel...he just isn't shouting it from the rooftops!)

Coming home, I'm more inspired than ever...to make our house more of a home, to improve my attitude about life, to do something I truly love, to thank God for the blessings we have.

2011-08-18T08:52:00.000-05:00

Have you discovered this amazing website yet? (http://www.pinterest.com/)

I found it a few months ago, via a blog I frequently read, and I go back and forth with being addicted to it. Not because there's any reason to stop being addicted, but because I'll notice I've lost an entire day to "pinning" (saving things to boards I've created) without even realizing it. Then I tell myself to grow up, get back to work, and avoid it for a week or so until I see something and think (or say out loud), "Man, I have to remember that!" and then I pin it and the cycle starts all over again.

I have 23 categories of things I pin to, all divided in a way that makes sense to me. The cool thing is, I can follow my friends and they can follow me. {Speaking of which, if you look to the left sidebar, you can click the icon to follow me.}

Here's a screenshot of what my boards look like when I log in to Pinterest:

Are you freaking kidding me? All of that awesome inspiration all in one spot? And, the very cool thing is that when you pin something, it also saves the source information, so I never have to wonder where the heck I found something again. I really wish this had been around when I was planning my wedding, so I didn't have to keep all my inspiration files in 3 or 4 different places.

Anyway, go check it out now. I apologize in advance for the hours you will lose to this awesome website. Although, no really, because come on..it's just too much fun to be a waste of time!

Have a great one, all!

It's the Little Things...

2011-08-15T10:36:00.001-05:00

I've started to write this post about 5 times already this morning and the words aren't coming out correctly. I want to say so many things that are on my mind about courtesy and treating others as you'd like to be treated and how manners have seemingly gone away. And each time I try, I just get reminded about some of the things I've encountered lately, and I don't want to be reminded of those feelings.

While I was trying to form my thoughts, I started looking through some pictures I have saved on this computer and found this:

Our sweet Abby Gator, on one of the first days we brought her home. I wish I could turn back time so I could pick her up and snuggle her. (Actually, I still try to do that, but she's almost as tall as I am now...let's just say it doesn't work too well.)

Life moves too quickly to dwell on negative things or to hope that others will be have in a way that you want them to. Instead, I'll just be extremely thankful that I had a mom who taught me how to say please and thank you. She taught me how to go out of my way to be nice to others. She taught me the difference between right and wrong and how to choose the right path when there was gray area between the two. She taught me to learn from my mistakes, cry without shame, laugh my way through life, and to say "I love you" whenever I felt like it.

I'm so blessed to have the life that I do. And I'm really lucky to have a puppy that freaking adorable...because come on, who can doubt how great their life is with that face in it?? :)

A New Week

2011-08-08T09:59:00.000-05:00

To say this last week has been hard is a huge understatement. This coming week will probably look much the same way. I don't really want to go into the details, but everyone is healthy, and that's the most important that.

When I started this blog, I really did think it would be about our everyday lives. And, it was, for awhile. Then it went to crafty/DIY things, and photography, and some real life mixed throughout. And now I hesitate to write if I don't have anything creative to talk about. I think it's just a natural progression, and there's nothing wrong with it, but it's something I realized this week.

I also realized that there is so much beauty in the world, even when things are challenging. I've written before about the significance of butterflies in my life and how they seem to appear whenever I need a little extra support and love. Last week, when all I wanted was a huge hug from my mom, I saw more butterflies than I've seen all summer. It still amazes me that every time I need her, she's there for me.

Butterfly, in my yard last week

This is one of those pointless, rambling posts, so I'll just end it here before it gets ridiculous, but I'm hoping for some small blessings this week, and saying a prayer that life will get back on track. Today is a new day, and so is tomorrow, and the day after that. No matter what happens, they will all be amazing.

Blessings

2011-08-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

Such a great message, and one I needed to hear today.

{Week in the Life - Why I Participate}

2011-07-29T08:33:00.000-05:00

I posted my photos first thing this morning, but I wanted you to see Ali's blog today, which includes a link to her Thursday post from the 2010 project. I just love her perspective on things.

Love this quote!
"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return." - Mary Jean Iron

I know some people who are reading have no idea who Ali Edwards is or why I do this Week in the Life project. That quote is the best way I could possibly describe it.

Scrapbookers and photographers often capture the big events, but what about all the little things that make up life? My first two memories are of playing with Legos with my dad and my puppy when I was less then 4 (I only know that because we were in a different house back then), and "helping" my grandma do dishes the week my parents brought my brother home from the hospital (so I was almost 3). I'm 99.9% sure that pictures of those two things don't exist (if they do, I haven't found them yet). 25+ years ago, not very many people took pictures of ordinary, every day things.

25 years from now, I want to remember what my life was like every day. Not just the birthdays, holidays and important events. Not just when there's friends over or family gatherings. Not just my adorable puppies.

All of those things are important, but the little, ordinary moments are pretty important too.

{Week in the Life - Thursday}

2011-07-29T07:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday!

And so it continues. The project is officially half done now, and apparently, yesterday was where I hit my wall. I only took a few pictures (and a few screen shots of things on my phone and computer). But, that's typical for me. Some days are interesting, others are not. Yesterday just was one of those days where I went through the motions and didn't think a whole lot.

Here's what I came up with (not including Mike's pictures that he hasn't sent me yet):

There's a few other screen shots of text conversations that I captured, but this is the bulk of it. I think it's okay to have a slower day of photos, and with the way I'm doing my layouts, it really won't make much of a difference.

The good news for this morning is that I'm pretty sure I've already taken more pictures before 8am than I did all day yesterday. The "day off" I took yesterday has recharged me and will help me finish up the last 3 days.

Short post today, but I'll be back with more at some point this weekend for today's photos, and probably do the weekend photos on Monday (we'll see what the weekend looks like).

Have a great one!

{Week in the Life - Wednesday}

2011-07-28T09:39:00.000-05:00

Good morning all!

I'll get to my pictures for Wednesday's Week in the Life in a minute, but I think I figured out how I'm going to do my layouts for this project next week and I wanted to share. Originally when I started, I thought I'd do a collage a day or something just to give a snapshot, but there are times when I've been able to take more pictures and times when I forget or haven't been able to. I was thinking it might be better to do snapshots of times during the day and include pictures from that time over the course of the week.

So, maybe one time will be morning routines, one will be the commute to work, one will be work, and one will be evenings. I don't know if I'll use those for sure, but just to give you an idea. Then I can include all the pictures I've taken in the mornings and journal about my typical mornings from the time I get up until I leave for work.

My days are filled with a lot of routine. I rarely do the same things throughout the day, but I can pretty safely say my schedule is as follows:
4:30am -5:45am - get ready for work
5:45ish am - 7:00am - driving to work
7am-4pm - working
4pm - 6ishpm - driving home/running whatever errands need to be run in Omaha
6ish pm - 9pm - evening chores/crafting/spending time with Mike & the dogs/dinner/etc.
9pm - bedtime

Now that that's established, there isn't a whole lot more to say on the subject of what I do all day. I'd much rather show shap shots of those blocks of time all at once to give a much better picture of what that routine looks like.

I'm still planning on including this in my Project Life album. I know a lot of people are making separate albums for this project, but I really think it will compliment my Project Life well, and I want the two things to be linked together going forward. I'll probably do a 12x12 spread for each of the time periods, along with journaling cards. I know I have extra page protectors that came with the Project Life kit, so I might just use those, or I may figure out something else entirely to give the Week in the Life project some uniqueness within the album. I'll probably decide when I'm assembling everything next week to see what works best.

Alright, enough of my rambling...here are the photos from yesterday:

First - I took less pictures than normal yesterday. My phone battery was dying and I'd forgotten my charger at home, so I was pretty conservative while I was at work. (I also feel like I have enough pictures of work, except for some things like the outside of the building).
Second - Mike's still doing a great job with taking his pictures (I asked him to take 2 per day). Yesterday, he sent me one of his office and one of his drive to work since it was foggy and raining.
Third - I took a few more "at home" pictures last night, until my phone died completely. For whatever reason, I've haven't been motivated to do much around the house this week, and I've basically been sitting on the couch, watching DVDs, looking at recipes, brainstorming ideas, and above all else, avoiding the ridiculous heat. I think I may be able to focus more on the home stuff tomorrow evening when Mike doesn't work late and this weekend (at least I hope so, or those days are going to be pretty empty!)

If you haven't had a chance yet, sign up for the (free) Big Picture Classes class on Week in the Life. I've been loving connecting with the ladies on the message boards and looking at the gallery for inspiration every day. Everyone has come up with such great ideas, I can't wait to see the finished product!

Have a happy Thursday everyone!

{Week in the Life - Tuesday}

2011-07-27T08:19:00.000-05:00

Hi kids,

Day 2 in Week in the Life was about the same as Day 1. I took a reasonable amount of pictures, and remembered to take a few after I got home from work. That's been the biggest challenge for me, taking pictures around home. Which is backwards from most people, I think, but I just get caught up in what I'm doing and forget to take a picture. I also don't carry my iPhone with me at home like I do at work, so that might be part of it.

Here's the majority of the pictures from yesterday (a few won't upload, for some reason):

Things I want to remember:

When I was taking pictures first thing in the morning, my iPhone suddenly went black and wouldn't turn on. I was in major panic mode, thinking I'd lost all my notes and pictures on the phone. I figured it out once I got to work, but it's very clear how dependent I've become on the technology in my life.

A couple of the pictures were taken accidentally, but I included them, because why not?

I made stroganoff for dinner, which is one of Mike's favorite dinners, because it's too freaking hot to grill out right now (as we normally do during summer months). It was weird to stand in the kitchen and cook something I normally consider a "winter meal" but Mike was happy he didn't have to wait until the weather cooled off to have it.

My brother and I were texting about my nephew's school supply list, and I realized how quickly he is growing up. Michael is 5 years old and about to start kindergarten. I cannot believe it.

I have a to do list around the house and with crafty things that is easily longer than my arm, and yet I did nothing last night but watch Gilmore Girls DVDs and cuddle with Molly. I needed the night off, so I took it.

I hope everyone's WITL is going well! Thanks for the sweet comments yesterday, especially about Mike's participation in this project. He is extremely supportive of whatever I do, and this project is no different. There may be a little grumbling, but I love to see things from his point of view.

Happy Wednesday!

{Week in the Life - Monday}

2011-07-26T09:50:00.000-05:00

Hi folks,

This week is the Week in the Life project I've been talking about! If you're a friend of mine on Facebook, you've seen most of the pictures I'm posting already. Uploading them to an album in Facebook has done a couple of things for me: 1) it's keeping me on top of getting the photos off my camera (in this case, my iPhone), and 2) it's helping me see the big picture. I love looking at the album as I upload and seeing all the pieces of my day come together like that. I've been writing little notes along with the photos, but not really telling the whole story. I'll probably use my blog for that, and journal as I go along.

So, here we go :)

This was my view on the way to work on Monday. Normally, I'm asleep in the passenger seat on the way to work (because we carpool), but the husband has been working a lot of overtime lately and we've been driving separately.

My first stop when I get into the building at work. Must have my morning caffeine. And apparently, I'm too lazy to put soda in the fridge at home and just take one from there.

First things first in the office...Dr. Pepper and my name tag. I have 3 name tags, and I rarely remember to wear them, but the State of Nebraska is in our building this week, so I'm being extra careful about following the rules.

My heap of a desk when I walked in this morning. This is exactly how it was left on Friday afternoon, and is pretty typical of Monday mornings. I can't wait to leave on Fridays, especially when I work late (like I did last Friday).

I saw this quote on the Big Picture Classes website and thought it was so perfect that it would be the quote on the day I started this project. So, of course, I took a picture of it!

I decided I would try to find a different way to show the date on each day of this project (just for something challenging). This is my date stamp for received invoices, set to yesterday's date.

The WITL message board on the Big Picture Classes website. If you're doing WITL and haven't checked this out, I highly recommend it! I spent quite a bit of time on the message board yesterday looking for ideas and inspiration and connecting with others doing this project.

Here's a screenshot from my flight confirmation for a trip in August. We've only been taking about one flight a year since we got married (which is less for me and more for Mike), so I'm excited to be making reservations! I also thought it was funny that it tells me how much I saved at the bottom since I'm into saving money lately.

Mondays usually = headaches for me. I also have issues with photographing paperwork, but I managed to when I dumped my Aleve out on the desk. I spent most of my work day yesterday figuring out logistics for an upcoming event.

This is huge news in our family since we love football, and because an upcoming vacation will involve an NFL game. Another funny thing...when we were younger, my cousin and I used to laugh so hard at our grandma for taking pictures of things happening on TV. And here I am, taking pictures of a computer screen. I guess I've come full circle.

I asked Mike to take at least 2 pictures a day of his version of our life. I would have loved to see photos from my dad's point of view or Grandpa's growing up. Memory keeping seems to be a one-sided thing a lot of the time. But, Mike jumped on board and sent me this picture of him in his headset at work.

I have almost no words for walking into Hobby Lobby and seeing Christmas decorations.

The more I think about it though...this is how my world works, looking forward about 6 months. At work, I'm planning events for the fall already. With my craft projects, I'm planning for this in October and November, and brainstorming projects for Christmas gifts. I guess it's not that outrageous.

Traffic as I was running errands through Omaha after work. This isn't something I'm used to seeing, even on the way home from work normally.

Home. After such a long drive home, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see this sign because I know I'm almost there. I also laugh a little to myself, because it's such a small town...my high school class was bigger than our population.

One of my favorite parts of the day is checking the mail. If Mike is with me, we try to anticipate what we'll have (anything but bills, hopefully), and I usually ask, "What do you think I got for free today?" because I've ordered coupons and samples that I don't even remember.

A blurry picture of Miss Molly, begging for attention (as usual). I love seeing her at the end of my day...so full of wiggles.

And the Abby, before I let her out of her "box." Poor poochie whines the second I walk in the door until I let her out. It's kind of cute.

Politely waiting to go outside and play. She wants out the second I get home. Molly is content to cuddle with me for awhile (especially since we started keeping her on a leash to keep her from visiting the neighbors. A mile away.)

Here's another one of Mike's pictures, from doing chores with the cows. I don't know what the dogs were doing when they were "helping" him, but they came back in the house smelling like cattle too. Gross.

That's that for Monday. One of the things I want to remember being thankful for is the technology that's part of my life. I think about how much harder this project would be if I didn't have access to an iPhone that uploaded the photos I take automatically, and well...I don't ever want to go back to that :) So many of the pictures I take stay on my camera and then get uploaded to my computer and forgotten about. It seems like such a waste to not really enjoy them.

You'll notice the difference in the looks of the pictures...I'm shooting mostly with the Instagram app for iPhone...they have a ton of great filter options that I love using. I'll probably stick with it going forward for the week, because it makes the process fun, which keeps me going.

One last note: seeing all these pictures together, here on my blog, or in my Facebook album makes me realize that I lead a very busy and full life. Sometimes it's easy to get discouraged in the scrapbooking world because we don't have kids yet - so many projects, albums, and layouts center around children and family (and that's great!) But, it makes me wonder from time to time why I would even really want to focus on memory keeping until we have them. And then I think about how I'd like to know what my parents' life was like before my brother and I invaded it. Or what my grandparents' lives were like before they had kids. It would be so interesting to read about that since most of the stories I've heard are about life after kids. I hope someday that my children and grandchildren will want to look and photos and read stories about Mike & me and our lives.

I hope you're enjoying this project if you're doing it. If you aren't doing it, it's not too late to start, or to pick a week in the future to do this project!

Inspiration

2011-07-19T09:02:00.001-05:00

Becky Higgins shared this on Facebook yesterday, and I am so inspired (and thrilled to see others who love Instagram as much as I do!)

Check out Cathy Zielske's blog for some awesome Instagram inspiration. Cathy created these awesome templates too, so check those out!

Layout credit: Cathy Zielske

Check out Cathy's blog, Becky Higgins' blog, and friend Becky on Facebook for loads of amazing inspiration.

Here's a few pictures from Instagram of my day yesterday (clearly, I love the filter options):

I'm so glad I got my iPhone and found these apps before the WITL project, coming up next week. I've already taken more pictures in the last couple of days than I did all last month!

What apps are you using to capture life as it happens?

Happy July

2011-07-18T10:18:00.000-05:00

I could make a bunch of excuses for why I haven't blogged lately, but the reality is, I just haven't had time for it. I had always planned to take a bit of a summer break so I could work on actually being creative instead of just talking about it, but the creativity hasn't happened, and the break sort of happened without realizing it. Whoops.

Anyway, needless to say, my life has been extremely busy since I last blogged. I can't even update you on it, because I don't really remember what all it was so busy with, except for work, work, work, life, and more work. There was a period in there where I didn't even pick up my camera for weeks unless there was a major event going on.

Because it's such a pain in the rear to remember to take my camera every where I go (which makes it extremely difficult to complete my Project Life), one of my demands for a new phone was a decent camera. Enter my new iPhone. So far, I love it, and am already taking more pictures to document our life! (I'm using the Instagram app for editing, which I love.)

From my carrot pickling adventures on Saturday

Have you seen that next week, Ali Edwards is hosting her annual "Week in the Life" project? She blogs about her supplies here. I did this project last week, very poorly, and never put the album together even after all my planning. I decided this year, I would try again and incorporate it into my Project Life, adding extra layouts for additional pictures we capture. Yes, I said "we." Since the husband has an iPhone now too, I asked him to take 3 pictures a day to contribute to the album. It will be nice to have his point of view on something. (Don't tell him, but if he doesn't mind too terribly for this week, I'm going to ask him to take 3 pictures a week to include in the Project Life album.)

I posted on my Facebook about starting a group for the WITL project...so far, I have one friend who's a taker. I'd love to have more people keep me accountable for this project, so let me know if you're interested! (And friend me if you haven't already).

So, that's what I have coming up over the next couple of weeks. I've been getting craft fair flyers like crazy, which means it's probably time for me to start making stuff to sell. Which means lots of crafty time, which I love!

I hope your summers are going well :)

I Feel Like...

2011-04-27T09:19:00.000-05:00

...Like all my posts lately have been me apologizing for staying away too long. But, I am sorry.

...Like there aren't enough hours in a day to do what I need to do.

...Like I need to find something to sacrifice in my daily schedule, but I can't actually bring myself to do it.

...Like I'm letting everyone down.

Yeah, it's not a happy post. Today, I'm not very happy. I wasn't yesterday either. I hate that, but it is what it is.

We had an extremely fun and blessed Easter. I needed last weekend. I have to remind myself of that, or this week will seem really overwhelming (I did nothing last week but cook and have fun...which means I have much work to catch up on this week.)

I wanted to post one another reminder about my friend's Susan G. Komen 3-Day benefit, coming up this Saturday night! I'm donating the Nest album that I talked about in my last album. Here's hoping it will actually be done by then!! I'm setting this goal for myself: done by Friday so I can post pictures on the blog and show you what's on the (silent) auction block!

And to end on a fun note, I'm working on an aisle runner this week for a party in honor of the royal wedding! I'm not into all the buzz surrounding the wedding, but I am into this party! I think it's going to be a total blast, and it's really fun for me to bring my VDC projects into my work life!

Okay, happy end of April all! I doubt I'll be back until Friday (possibly very early Saturday morning) with the pics of the album. I'm keeping my fingers crossed :)

Well...

2011-04-12T08:48:00.000-05:00

These photos have nothing to do with the post, except that I wish I was writing from my patio with a cup of coffee next to me, instead of from a desk.

I really didn't mean for almost two weeks to pass before I blogged. Seriously, that time flew by (I thought it hadn't been more than a few days.)

We have been so busy these past 10 days or so, both with work and with our personal lives. I say we need some time off, but that seems to fly by too and I feel like we waste it, even though I know we need to relax.

We travelled to Cozad and attended Brent & Saranne's beautiful wedding. I couldn't be happier for them, they're such a great couple and so obviously in love. Cozad is a really cute little town too...I love small-town Nebraska.

I spent the majority of my time last week working in my craft room when I wasn't working in my office. It seems like I'm moving from one project to the next, which I really love, and my to-do list just keeps growing in the meantime (which I'm not so sure I love). Right now, I'm working on the Nest mini album, a thank-you card order, and wedding invitations. Here's the sample that the bride & groom chose (though we'll be making a few adjustments to it shortly...)

Forgive the quality of this picture...I had to pull it from the PDF of the invitation samples I had sent

That one of my favorite things about making wedding invitations - they're completely customized. That was big when I planned my wedding - I wanted little details that no one else had.

In other news:

We added 10 more cows to our bunch, bringing our total to 13 for the summer. I'm thinking (hoping) my husband is done with cows for the season, but who knows with him.
Molly and Abby are LOVING the spring weather. The ticks are loving Molly and Abby. Disgusting, right? This is something we've gone through every summer with Molly, but fortunately, her coat isn't terribly thick. Abby, on the other hand, is a husky. She seems to pick up everything with her coat. I start to panic around this time of year (although it seems earlier than ever) because Molly had Lyme disease her first summer on the farm, and I never want either of the puppies to have to deal with that again. It was horrible.
We've been hosting a furniture sale at work for the last couple of weeks, and I was able to score some really awesome pieces for not a lot of money. I figure if they're inexpensive, I can experiment with painting them.
In painting news, I actually got color samples up on my walls in my dining room and picked a shade of gray I think we'll love. Just have to go buy the paint one of these nights and get started getting it on the walls!

Omaha has been building a new ballpark downtown for the last couple of years (much controversy I won't get into), but we drove by it the other day on the way to the airport, and it is beautiful! Mike was able to get us tickets to the first game that will be played there (Nebraska vs. Creighton), and I can't wait to go! (And I really don't like baseball, so that's saying something)

And, finally, the most exciting thing to happen to us in awhile...

Mike won a cruise!!!

Yup, how awesome is that?? His work was having some contest, and his name was pulled from the hat (along with 9 other people). We haven't gotten the details yet, but what we know right now is that we can basically go anywhere we want for 3 nights/4 days, and we have a year to use it. I'm trying not to look too hard until we actually know what the restrictions are, but we would both love to go to Alaska. We know that cruise won't qualify for the 3day/4night restrictions, but are hoping that we're able to upgrade for a reasonable price and head there this summer. (And if we can't, then who the heck are we to complain about a Caribbean cruise?) We were both shocked that he won (heck, I didn't even know about the contest!), but feeling so blessed that he did. I can't wait to know more of the details so we can start planning our trip!

That's all for today! I hope everyone has a wonderful day :)

Nest Mini Scrapbook Album

2011-03-31T07:56:00.000-05:00

Good morning all!

Just a quick post today with a sneak peak of the Nest Mini I've been working on. I'm donating this album to a benefit dinner that will raise money for a team walking in a Susan G. Komen 3-Day this summer. One of the team members is a friend of mine from work, and she recently lost her favorite aunt to breast cancer (the funeral was last week). Carla had been battling her cancer (for the 2nd time) for over 4 years. She was one of the strongest people I'd ever met (she worked at our company before she was too sick to work) and never complained about the pain she was in. In fact, she was always looking for some way to help others rather than focusing on herself.

This isn't meant to be a sad post, though Carla's passing is extremely sad. It just that her illness and death was a reminder to me about what's important in life and making each moment count. I started to think about all the things that were important after her funeral, and I realized that THOSE are the things that make up "home" for me. Not necessarily the house where I live (though, it does feel like home), but also the things that make up my life - family, friends, pets, hobbies and memories.

So, the theme of this album is "Nest." Obviously, I won't be filling it with pictures, but I hope the person who purchases or wins it will fill it with all sorts of images of the things that make them feel at home....whether it's a physical building, or all the other pieces of their lives that wrap them up and make them feel secure.

I couldn't wait to share a picture (in fact, I shared this last night on Facebook as soon as I finished the cover), so excuse the cell phone quality, but here it is:

I know you probably can't see all the details, especially since this was taken around midnight, but you get the idea. (And I enlarged the picture as much as possible for the blog so you could see.) I promise there will be better pictures once the album is finished :) The kraft background is just a mailing envelope I had sitting around...I wanted the background a little darker since the cover blended in to my off-white work table.

This is easily the most detailed piece I've made in a long time, but I wanted to go all out on the cover. And now I want to duplicate it and make an album for myself, but I know I don't have time right now! I would definitely buy it back though if it ends up on the Silent Auction they're having. The one thing missing from the cover is a vintage inspired door knob fixture to open the album with...what home isn't complete without a front door?

I'll share more information about the benefit dinner as soon as I have it, since I know my friend would love to see as many people there as possible!

I hope everyone has an excellent Thursday, and upcoming weekend. I don't know that I'll be back before Monday, since life is keeping me so busy! Looking forward to seeing lots of family this weekend at Brent & Saranne's wedding (and I'll also bring back pictures of the finished aisle runner since I forgot to take them before I rolled it up).

Have a great one!

General Greeting Cards (It's Finally Over!)

2011-03-29T08:12:00.000-05:00

This series of posts features cards I've made for a specific stationery order. My customer requested 25 greeting cards for a variety of occasions. And that's all the direction I got! Knowing her previous purchases from me, she likes simple things and lives on a farm, so I kept that in mind when I was making these cards. She's seen most of the designs I keep on hand for craft shows, so I wanted to create totally new cards for her.

I've tried to divide the cards out into small bunches (rather than overwhelm you with 25 cards and deets in one post) by the occasions they were designed for. Also, I'm a terrible photographer when it comes to cards. This has been confirmed.

Enjoy!

Good morning, all! Well, it's finally here...the end of this series of cards! I want to thank everyone again for all the support I've been given through this series. It's awesome to know that I have people in my corner when it come to this stationery thing :) Now that this series is done, I'm hoping I've found both my blog and creating motivation to keep posting projects on a regular basis. We shall see! I do have a lot of projects in the works for both personal things and for customers, including some wedding invitations, an aisle runner, birthday party invitations, and a scrapbook I will be donating to a fundraising event. I promise to take lots of pictures and share them here!

On to the cards...

This first card I left without a sentiment just because I think the image needs to be the focal point. This card could be used for so many sentiments, I really couldn't narrow it down if I wanted to. My favorite parts are the textured cream cardstock (I rarely use textured cardstock) and the pearl at the center of the flower).

Next up is a card with a color scheme that's really out of my comfort zone, but I wanted to try something different. I love that purple satin ribbon...it's heavy and sturdy. I've been hoarding it for years, and I'm forcing myself to use it occasionally on special projects. The little tag/sentiment image always makes me smile. The first card I ever made Mike (our first Valentine's Day, after we'd only been dating a couple of weeks) had that image repeating as a background. He still has the card sitting in his office. So sweet :)

This card was one of the most time-intensive cards I've made in a long time. Each piece of the background paper is a 1"x1" square, pieced together to look like a quilt. Now...I don't sew, but I still wanted this to have a quilted look, so I drew in my "stitching" around the border. Then I used markers on water-color paper to color in the farm scene. I did the same paper piercing and drawn stitching technique around the focal image. It's definitely a fall-ish card, but since my customer lives on a farm, I couldn't pass up a chance to use this image on a card for her.

And here's another farm image I couldn't pass up! You can pretty much bet that if I find a cute (realistic looking) farm stamp set, I'll be buying it. There aren't too many out there. I used a wheat stamp at the bottom to make a border and add some texture to the base of the card. I also distressed all the layers to give the card a more natural look. This set of 25 cards is definitely the most often I've pulled out my distressing tools!

Well, there ya have it! Thank you again for looking at all the cards I've been creating over the last few weeks. I'm really happy to report that my customer was thrilled with all the cards I gave her, which I was a little nervous about (I like direction when I'm creating custom orders...to have someone say, "Make what you'd like" is a dream, but when it came time to turn them over to her, I had butterflies in my stomach).

Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

Thinking Of You Cards

2011-03-28T08:18:00.000-05:00

This series of posts features cards I've made for a specific stationery order. My customer requested 25 greeting cards for a variety of occasions. And that's all the direction I got! Knowing her previous purchases from me, she likes simple things and lives on a farm, so I kept that in mind when I was making these cards. She's seen most of the designs I keep on hand for craft shows, so I wanted to create totally new cards for her.

I've tried to divide the cards out into small bunches (rather than overwhelm you with 25 cards and deets in one post) by the occasions they were designed for. Also, I'm a terrible photographer when it comes to cards. This has been confirmed.

Enjoy!

Good Monday morning, all! How was your weekend? Ours was really great...lots of quality time with friends (who also happen to be our family...which makes us really lucky!) It was a very relaxing weekend, which is just what we needed. Even if everything on our to-do list didn't get done.

So, let's move on to the 2nd to last bunch of cards in this little series I've been doing. Today's cards are all "Thinking of You" cards. These aren't my favorite cards to make, but they are necessary. And it's good to have some of these on hand so I don't have to worry about making a card at the last minute.

First up is a card that I would probably use as a sympathy card, but could also just be used when a friend needs a reminder that you're thinking of them, or doing any tough time in life. Who wouldn't appreciate the sentiment, "You're on my mind"?

I kept this card fairly neutral and simple. The bottom background images (the words) are stamped with a brown distress ink. I didn't really want the words to be read, since I'm pretty sure it's a love story that would have nothing to do with this card. The point is just to see the text. I also roughed up the edges a little bit to give this more of a natural feel, which coordinates with the floral ribbon and stamped flower image.

Next up is a sympathy card. Normally, when I make sympathy cards, they're blue or green. Don't ask me why, but that seems to be my trend. But, I like this melon-y color...it's pretty and soothing. The floral image is stamped on with water color crayons. I colored directly on my rubber stamp and then spritzed it lightly with water, and stamped it onto my cardstock (this probably would have worked even better if I'd gotten out my watercolor paper, but I forgot about it until just now.) I also like the ribbon buckle, which ties in the other brown elements on the card.

This is a general "thinking of you" sort of card. It could be during a time that a friend needs a pick-me-up, but could also be used for happy occasions like a birthday or thank you. I thought the colors were cheerful, which works no matter what the meaning behind the card will end up being.

My process for this card was pretty simple. I stamped the weathered background on the card first, then stamped the dragonflies and embossed them with white embossing powder. Then I sponged on some ink over the top of the dragonflies and the top half of the card. I went back with a dry paper towel and wiped off the ink that was on the embossed images to reveal the white. It's kind of a fun technique that I've done on a few cards now.

The last card for the day is a get well card. I am TERRIBLE at sending these kinds of cards out because I normally don't keep them on hand, and normally, by the time I hear someone is ill and get a card mailed out, they're well again. I wish I was better at it though because the times I've been really sick, getting the mail is a bright moment in the day. It's the little things when you're sick, right?

So, the little piggy is colored in with water colors. Again, I don't break down and color very often, but this little guy was begging for it. I love the background image I used on the bottom of the card (PTI's Background Basics: Retro...that set was getting a lot of miles in this order). And the giant blue button makes me happy as well!

Well, that's it for today, kids. Tomorrow will be the last of these 25 cards...thank you for bearing with me! Hopefully after this little series is complete, I'll have some projects for you that I've been working on lately (no hint as to what they are, because I'm not even done with most of them. Typical me.) Have a great Monday!!

Thank You! (Cards, That Is)

2011-03-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

This series of posts features cards I've made for a specific stationery order. My customer requested 25 greeting cards for a variety of occasions. And that's all the direction I got! Knowing her previous purchases from me, she likes simple things and lives on a farm, so I kept that in mind when I was making these cards. She's seen most of the designs I keep on hand for craft shows, so I wanted to create totally new cards for her.

I've tried to divide the cards out into small bunches (rather than overwhelm you with 25 cards and deets in one post) by the occasions they were designed for. Also, I'm a terrible photographer when it comes to cards. This has been confirmed.

Enjoy!

Happy Friday! It's FINALLY here. With snow, unfortunately, but oh well. It's almost the weekend. I thought today's card theme should be "thank you" cards. I've gotten so much positive feedback about my cards, both from seeing them here and on Facebook. Thank you guys so much for being supportive of me and my creative endeavors! It means the world to me. :) Okay...enough sap. On to cards!

First up, probably one of my favorite thank you cards that I've made. It reminds me so much of spring. The label is from a SU! hostess set from a couple years ago and I just love it. I need to use it a lot more. I also really like the pearl accents on the leaf. I have a lot of pearl and rhinestones to use for that sort of thing, but I always hoard them, so I was proud of myself for giving some up. I also distressed the edges on all the layers to keep the card from getting too girly!

Next is a VERY simple number. I love kraft cardstock so much, I wish I could use it on every project. When I added the rope, I started to tie a knot (or bow), like I normally do, and realized that at that point, almost all the cards I'd made had a bow on them. I needed something different, so I just chopped the rope at the edges of the card and frayed them a little.

Here's a fun technique. I stamped my floral and leafy images on a bigger sheet of cardstock, and then cut them in to pieces. It adds something extra to the focal image to have it cut up like that rather than just leaving it as a single sheet. I also like the layered tag a lot...that's one of my favorite looks and punch combos, and I forget about it a lot. This is another one of those cards that has a lot of layers so it's kind of heavy, which I think makes it feel important :)

And the last one, another of my favorites. I broke out the Glimmer Mist on this one for the focal image background. I have all this Glimmer Mist because I love the stuff, and it's on one of my top shelves in my craft room, so I forget to use it! What is wrong with me?? The bow on the card really isn't that green...it's more of a mossy green, so it coordinates a little better than it looks :) I also used one of the PTI vintage buttons on top of the bow, and it's tied with some Divine Twine in the oyster color (grey)...which coordinates with the layer of grey cardstock I used behind my focal image.

So, there you have it. A big THANK YOU to all of you who look at my blog each day! I'll be back on Monday and Tuesday to finish up all these cards (I still have "Thinking of You" and some blank/general ones to show you), and hopefully later in the week will show you some of the projects I work on this weekend.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Special Celebration Cards

2011-03-24T08:38:00.001-05:00

This series of posts features cards I've made for a specific stationery order. My customer requested 25 greeting cards for a variety of occasions. And that's all the direction I got! Knowing her previous purchases from me, she likes simple things and lives on a farm, so I kept that in mind when I was making these cards. She's seen most of the designs I keep on hand for craft shows, so I wanted to create totally new cards for her.

I've tried to divide the cards out into small bunches (rather than overwhelm you with 25 cards and deets in one post) by the occasions they were designed for. Also, I'm a terrible photographer when it comes to cards. This has been confirmed.
Enjoy!

Howdy! It's Thursday, THANK GOODNESS! This week has been so incredibly busy, I'm dying for a weekend.Today's cards are all about special celebrations in your life...weddings, anniversaries, babies. I picked this theme for today because our friend is in labor as I type and we will hopefully get to meet her new little boy soon!

Up first is a wedding card (though this could easily be an anniversary card or a just because I love you card). This has been my go-to wedding card since I first made it. I always think I'll change out the ribbon color to match the wedding colors, but it hasn't happened. The cream (yes, it's cream, not yellow as it looks here) on white is so elegant...I just leave it. And I love it.

The textures were made with Cuttlebug embossing plates. I love the little hat pin detail. This is the kind of card I love to put in a clear envelope because it's just to stinking pretty to hide behind a white envelope!

Next up is an anniversary card. I apologize for the quality of this picture, it's so dark. And I have no idea why, it didn't look this dark on the camera. Anyway...this simple card could be easily replicated (I did make a few of these to have on hand, actually). This is another one that would be fun to change colors on, especially for milestone anniversaries (gold or silver, for example).

This is an extremely simple card that could be used for a baby shower or to send to a mom-to-be to let her know you're thinking of her. I love this silhouette stamp set from SU! and haven't inked it up very often. I need to do that from now on!

And finally, the first of two baby cards. For both of these cards, I picked unisex colors (green and yellow), but I think they would look equally cute in shades of blue or pink or even purple or red.

I love that stamp from SU!...it makes adorable scalloped labels. And the stamp did all the work for me, I just had to run the green paper through a texture plate. Another card I could duplicate and keep on hand for new babies or baby showers.

Here's the yellow card. When I sat down to make this card, I really didn't know where I was going with any of the stamps I had out. And then this bright little card appeared. I'm loving all the yellow I'm using lately...I guess I need that brightness in my craft life as well as my real life. I am SO ready for spring to be here for real (it's supposed to snow this afternoon, yuck!)

My favorite detail on this card are the two score lines on the bottom part of the card. I think they just add a little something different, and they anchor the sentiment (kind of like a ribbon would do). I know you didn't ask, but my train of thought with the moon and star were nursery rhymes (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star & Hey Diddle Diddle). I also inked the edge of the card with white ink, which I think softens everything.

Well, there ya have it, day 3 of cards. Are you sick of it yet? :) I hope not! It's not very often that I actually take pictures of my cards (like I should), so I'm enjoying sharing them.

If you missed the first two days, you can find masculine birthday cards here and feminine birthday cards here.

Have a great Thursday, everyone!

Feminine Birthday Cards

2011-03-23T08:40:00.001-05:00

This series of posts features cards I've made for a specific stationery order. My customer requested 25 greeting cards for a variety of occasions. And that's all the direction I got! Knowing her previous purchases from me, she likes simple things and lives on a farm, so I kept that in mind when I was making these cards. She's seen most of the designs I keep on hand for craft shows, so I wanted to create totally new cards for her.

I've tried to divide the cards out into small bunches (rather than overwhelm you with 25 cards and deets in one post) by the occasions they were designed for. Also, I'm a terrible photographer when it comes to cards. This has been confirmed.
Enjoy!

Keeping with the birthday theme I had going yesterday, I thought I'd just move into the feminine birthday cards. I use the term "feminine" pretty loosely, and in this case, it just means they're meant to be given to women. For the most part, when I make cards for women, I definitely take the opportunity to add glitter, buttons, ribbons and whatever embellies I can come up with. I did sneak one fairly girly card in here though (and my customer loved it, so I was happy!)

This first card is that girly card I was talking about! One of my favorite cards that I've made for any occasion. I'm loving yellow and grey/black combinations in everything right now and had to use it on a card. I need to use it on more cards!

There's a little of everything on here, from the lacy MS border punch to black satin ribbon to hat pins to some bling in the center of the flower and glittered petals. This is the kind of card that I would love to receive for my birthday :) The lacy ruffles are punched from a SU! designer paper that had a very light yellow design on it, which ties everything together nicely. I used the same DSP to make the petals of the flower at the top. Once I'd layered all my ruffles, I used a piercing tool to "lift up" the layers and give them a little more dimension.

This card was extremely simple to make and really fun for me (because you know how I feel about cupcakes!) I was thinking of a child's birthday when I made this card, but anyone with a sweet tooth would probably love this.

A couple of fun details...I used some rhinestones as the cherries on the cupcake, just to give the card a little more dimension and add in some bling. And for the frosting on the cupcakes, I colored in the image with a Versamark marker, and the sprinkled it with white embossing powder and heated it up. It layers the frosting over the top of the wrappers, just like a real cupcake would have.

This next card could actually be used for both men and women, I think (though, it leans a little more feminine, which is why it's with this bunch). There's a lot of layers in this card, which I love...this thing has some real weight to it. When you hold it, you know you've got something special and handmade.

One fun detail you might not be able to see in the photo involves the blue panels with the white flowers on them. I made my background paper once again by stamping flowers onto my cardstock with Versamark, and then embossed them in white. There's definitely some texture to this card.

On a side note, you can sort of see the inside of the card in this photo and that I included a white panel on the inside. On my darker cards, I like to do that so it's easier to write (because I'm sure that everyone doesn't keep white pens hanging around their house). I rarely stamp messages on the inside of my card unless the stamps I have are meant to be continued; for example, a bold "Happy Birthday" sentiment on the front of the card and a longer verse on the inside. However, if I put a white panel on the inside of the card, I try to draw the overall design into the card as well. On this particular card, I stamped one of the flower images I used from the outside in a corner, in grey. The reason I leave the insides of my cards blank is so they can be personalized for the recipient.

Alright, last one. This is also one of my favorite cards that I've made in a long time because it's so fun and colorful. I've become obsessed with stamps featuring vintage items, like this bike stamp. And there's my yellow, making it's way into a card again. I'm also in love with banners and bunting. This whole card reminds me of a summer day or a trip to the county fair.

To make the banner a little more realistic, I attached the back layer of pennants (blue, green & purple) directly to the card front, and I used dimensional adhesive for the front layer (pink, orange & yellow). And I also love that you can see the little grey tail of the ribbon from the front row of pennants. Next time I make one of these, I'm going to have to break out my grey baker's twine for the ribbon.

Well, that's it for today, kiddies. Stop back tomorrow for another batch of cards. And, if you haven't already, check out my masculine birthday cards here!

Have a great day, all!!

Masculine Birthday Cards

2011-03-22T10:56:00.000-05:00

This series of posts features cards I've made for a specific stationery order. My customer requested 25 greeting cards for a variety of occasions. And that's all the direction I got! Knowing her previous purchases from me, she likes simple things and lives on a farm, so I kept that in mind when I was making these cards. She's seen most of the designs I keep on hand for craft shows, so I wanted to create totally new cards for her.

I've tried to divide the cards out into small bunches (rather than overwhelm you with 25 cards and deets in one post) by the occasions they were designed for. Also, I'm a terrible photographer when it comes to cards. This has been confirmed.

Enjoy!

First up, masculine birthday cards. These are always the hardest cards for me to come up with when I'm making batches of cards. First, I like frills and glitter and all things girly. Most guys don't appreciate these things. Second, I rarely (if ever) make cards for the guys in my life...I know they appreciate a good joke rather than a well-made card, so I normally will buy them cards. Yeah, I know, I suck creatively. I've accepted that :)

So, I thought these 4 cards would be the ones I left til last. But, for some reason, when I set my mind to it, these came to me pretty quickly. And I actually like most of them. So, into my design bunch they'll go, and I may actually make cards for some of my guys this year!

The first card is definitely my favorite. I don't pull out my markers and color very often, but this image always makes me want to do that. Now that I look at it though, I think it could really be striking on a kraft background in black or brown ink. Hmm. Regardless, I went for a really weathered, rugged look on this card, and I think I got the message across. I can see this card for someone like my grandpa, who has always worked with his hands and seems to always be working on a project for someone :)

This second card is more of a traditional masculine scheme. There are some guys who you just think of as "classic." This card would be perfect for those types of guys. (I had one of our residents at work in mind when I created this card...it reminds me so much of him.)

A couple of fun things about this card - if you look closely (or enlarge) at the top of the card, you'll see 3 score lines. There's also an oval frame impression around the happy birthday sentiment. I did the score lines with my MS scoring tool...super easy and adds some extra details. The frame I did with a Nestabilities oval, and just placed it under my sentiment and gently ran a brayer over it. Be careful that the paper doesn't tear when you're doing that though. The other fun thing is the ribbon. I didn't have any navy and white ribbon, so I took a piece of SU! white taffeta, a navy marker and a ruler, and made my own. I love the SU! taffeta for coloring on and making custom ribbon.

The third card is definitely the most simple of them all, but I do think this card would work for the majority of guys I know (changing the colors for some). I didn't have paper in the colors I wanted, so I just made some stripey paper using a lined background stamp. I purposely used distress ink so the lines wouldn't be crisp and perfect...I like that they're a little weathered.

Finally, the fourth card is definitely the most fun. I think this would be perfect for a teenage boy, or even someone older or younger. I don't know if you can see in the picture, but the large orange star at the bottom has been stamped with a "rock star" image, and I made sure to distress as many surfaces as I could to give the card a tattered look.

I didn't have a background stamp that I really liked, so I took a circle frame image from a PTI set (Take Note, I think), and stamped the circles on the front of my card. I used an image from Background Basics: Retro to make the smaller circles that are in the spaces of the big circle. It didn't turn out half bad and I'll probably use that design again. I'm finding more and more that I'm making my own background papers rather than looking to purchase just the right one.

You'll also notice that I used ribbon on 3 of the 4 cards. I'm not normally a fan of embellishments on masculine cards, but I think the way I did it here works (they're masculine prints, frayed or a little imperfect, and there isn't a bow in sight.)

Check back over the next few days for other occasions, including feminine birthday cards, special occasions (weddings, babies, etc.), thank yous, thinking over you/sympathy, and general greetings. Not necessarily in that order.

Happy Green Day!

2011-03-17T10:18:00.000-05:00

Good morning all!

If you're a Facebook friend of mine, you've heard me talking about these mint chocolate cake balls I've been working on the last couple of days. If you're not, then you have no idea...so, to catch you up: We somehow got on the topic of cake balls at work the other day, and since I'm always looking for an excuse to bake (because I love to bake, but don't really have a sweet tooth), I said I'd make something for St. Patty's Day. Enter the mint chocolate cake balls.

That's the finished product (FYI, it's extremely difficult to photograph anything in a cellophane bag). I'll write the (very simple) recipe at the bottom, so if you want it, it's yours to have. It's pretty basic.

For the packaging, I just took a cello bag with a self-adhesive strip on top, put in two cake balls, and sealed it closed. Then I used a pad of SU! patterned paper and cut out squares that were 3" x 3.5" inches (3.5" wide...just a little wider than my bag). I scored at 1.5" on the short side. Then I stamped the "Happy St. Patrick's Day" stamp to the left side. I stamped the "pinch proof" label on orange cardstock with Versamark ink, then embossed with gold embossing powder, and punched out the label with a 1.5" punch. The labels were attached to the top right corner, hanging over the side and top when the topper was folded. I just stapled the topper to hold it closed and attach the bag. Pretty simple, it took me less than an hour to make 24 bag toppers (I sent some to Mike's work too).

I hope everyone has a happy (and safe!) day o' green :)

Mint Chocolate Cake Ball Recipe
1 box of chocolate cake mix (and the ingredients you need to make it)
1 can of fudgey frosting
1 package of chocolate almond bark
1 package of Andes brand mint baking chips

Mix cake as directed on package. Fold in 1.5 cups of the baking chips. Bake as directed on the box (I used a smaller pan than I should have, so I had to bake mine a little longer. Just make sure you're testing the cake to make sure it's done before you pull it out of the oven).

Let cake cool completely. Crumble it into a large mixing bowl, and mix together cake and whole can of frosting with a mixer. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Roll your cake/frosting mixture into 1 - 1.5" balls. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. After you've rolled all the balls, put the cookie sheet in the freezer for 1 hour.

Melt the entire package of almond bark in a double boiler. Crush the remaining baking chips in a food processor and stir into the melted chocolate, until melted. (I know a lot of people who use the microwave to melt their almond back...if that works for you, go for it. I just prefer my double boiler). Dip the balls into the chocolate, making sure they are entirely coated. Let remaining chocolate drip from the balls, and place them on waxed paper to harden.

Eat immediately (my vote!) or place in the refrigerator until you serve them.

My cake balls never last, but I would guess they would keep in an air-tight container for a couple of days. Honestly, I don't think you'll have to worry about that unless you're planning ahead :)

Tip: This is the first batch of cake balls I've made without lollipop sticks (which, I suppose, would make them cake pops)...I highly recommend going that route. Dipping them is extremely easy with the sticks in and it's much easier to get a complete coating. You can find lollipop sticks at craft stores (I get mine from Hobby Lobby in the cake decorating section).

Apparently

2011-03-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

Apparently, March will be the month that I'm absent from the blog.

Apparently, I've taken on too much in my life and there just aren't enough hours in the day!

Apparently, I'm affected by the seasons more than I ever realized, because I've been in a GREAT mood ever since the weather has warmed up.

Apparently, Blogger isn't letting me upload images today. Annoying.

Apparently, eating breakfast before 6am isn't the best idea, because then I'm hungry for something by mid-morning (well, 8:45am, which I guess is mid-morning for me).

Apparently, I've become obsessed with cake balls and plan to finish my mint-chocolate ones tonight for St. Patty's treats tomorrow.

Apparently, Glee is determined to make my heart shine - Kurt and Black Bird last night moved me to tears! Go listen (I don't think the show performance is up yet, but here's the audio.)

Apparently, I'm picking out cakes for events I haven't even determined at this point. I'd show you a picture of the cake I found yesterday, but again, Blogger is annoying.

Apparently, I'm focusing on accessories when dressing rather than the clothes themselves...I've been on a jewelry buying spree for the last couple of weeks (oh, and socks...loving fun socks right now!)

Apparently, I did something wonderful in a past life, and was blessed with an amazing friend in this one - my very best friend, Melissa, is celebrating her birthday today. We've been friends since we were 12 years old and met in Mrs. Plummer's English class. I can't imagine my life without her. Happy birthday, Yissa! We love you :)