Avinash and Nandini

Project Life: Week 20, playing catch up

2013-05-23T15:12:00.002-05:00

This week: We were still in the process of unpacking and moving in (still are). I included two different weekends in this spread, Mother's day and the Saturday a week later when we visited the Austin Farmer's market for the first time. This spread more just has the leftovers of the week before with a few things from a very dull week. Not pictured: multiple trips to Ikea and the hardware store, giant piles of boxes all over the house, the owl we discovered living in our chimney.

It's a bit of jumble and I'm okay with that, mostly because I really like the way the color scheme worked out. Lots of soft pink, with a bit of orange and a few blues thrown in.

First side: I finally used my life.love.paper Currents stamp for something. I thought I would use it a lot more than I actually do. I stamped on a grid card here, but I think it would look pretty on patterned paper as well. I do like how it is perfectly sized for PL, but I just have trouble finding a place for it anyway. Here, I tried to remember all the new restaurants we went to in our first week in Austin. Suffice to say, I didn't do a lot of cooking. I added a strip of Rainbow Washi (I'm obsessed with this washi) for color and a cork number 5, for the month I guess?

I included several instagrams from Mother's Day on one card. The wooden polaroid is a Basic Grey hipster veneer. I colored in the Amy Tangerine heart stamp with a pink gelato and used my white sharpie for a little dimension. I'm not a big stamp color-in person, but I love how this turned out. I tried the same thing with a coffee cup stamp below it but it looked awful, so it got covered with an old ticket instead.

I used that kraft die cut card on the previous spread as well and had to mirror the design to allow the die cut effect to show through. I used a Holiday Mini kit card, with an SC printable. I added a little subtitle on the photo using my AC black slick writer.

This card is from the Studio Calico PL kit. I punched a circle from a Paislee Press printable for the 'flair', to signify our new start. The card next to it is another Paislee Press printable that I recolored to teal. I used a Martha Stewart tag for the journaling and some SC letter stickers.

Probably my favorite part of the whole spread is the moving card. It is another Studio Calico kit card. I am always looking for nice 4x6 cards in both orientations. This is a pink version of a card in the Midnight kit. I have the digi version, so I can always play around with the color if I want to print another one of these in the future. I used some older black velvet thickers I found while unpacking. They are a chipboard version of these black thickers.

Technically we moved the week before, but we are still in the process of it, so I guess it works. Can you tell my brain is fried?

Second page: I used two more SC kit 4x6 cards, which thankfully come in both orientations now. I journaled around the edge of the camera filler card about how Avinash does not want to leave his Nana and Nani's house.

These are just instagrams I took at the Farmer's market. I felt the story was pretty self explanatory, so no journaling needed. Pretty fruit, pretty produce and a beautiful sunny day. I finally used an SC wood veneer card instead of hoarding it, go me! I added the little Freckled Fawn bits to the photo and a few enamel dots. I would have moved them actually, but they threatened to rip the paper so I left them in place. I think this card is another recolored version of a Midnight card.

I cut that little smile tab out of a Cosmo Cricket paper ages ago and it keeps drifting through my piles/bowls/bags of scraps. So happy to just staple it down somewhere finally.

Also used one more vertical card cut from this Amy Tangerine paper. Love the white on kraft. Used my white sharpie to make the houses stand out a bit more. I fussy cut around them, added washi and slipped my photo in. Just a few gold stars. They are both making weird faces in this picture, but I kinda like it all the more for that. Not every picture has to have a wide grin in it. I think it shows that they hold hands even without knowing I am watching.

Let me know if you have any questions. I use a lot of digital products, and created a FREE Printables board on Pinterest to keep track (and, I work really hard to make sure that the pins there are all 'live links' and not spam).

I am linked up with The Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday. The PL kits I am using are the Seafoam kit and Clementine kit, with multi-pack page protectors, and grid journaling cards.

Thank you so much to everyone in this wonderful community. I love all the feedback and looking at everything people do each week. It definitely keeps me motivated. Also, please include a link to your projects below so we can check them out too.

Project Life: Week 18

2013-05-20T23:39:00.001-05:00

This week: I took the kids to the park one day for lunch. I remember feeling such peace that day in the middle of a lot of tears. My dad came to visit and my mom arrived a few days later. We packed and got ready for our move to Austin. We went to a May Day brunch, second year in a row. We started making the rounds, trying to visit with our friends once more before moving.

First page: I used my Studio Calico Planetarium kit a lot. My crafting supplies are a mess and it is just so easy to pull everything from one box essentially. I used a few cards, some paper from the card kit 6x6 paper pad, the tag is cosmo cricket.
I love the bright pop of color from the glitz alpha stickers. I wanted to highlight how Avinash wrote his name on his name tag.
The little freckled fawn cloud wood chips are another favorite.

I made this heart you card with my silhouette, based on an Ali Edwards design. My mat was a bit misaligned so the top got chopped.

I made a little row with these little wood veneer hearts from the new Atlantic collection. They are actually a little thinner than the lighter colored veneers, which is good for PL. I used a Paislee Press stamp on the card as well.

Second page: The pages have a lot of glare. Still trying to find a good photo spot in the new house. Will have to try again at a different time of day.{I got a decent picture of this side today, but the first page is still all wonky, oh well. I'm just moving on.}
This side is very photo heavy. I used four SC cards as well, plus a few random embellishments.
I used an Elisejoy stamp on the bottom right card. The white chalk ink wasn't showing through as much as I like, so I outlined it with my favorite white poster paint Sharpie.
Nandini and my mom were so silly together, but I never wrote down what they were saying at the time. I just improvised some phrases, though the joke is lost. I layered another die cut I made (I have a stash of different die cuts in kraft, which comes in handy since I still haven't unpacked my Cameo), a vintage yellow ticket and PP mistable star.

I put these chalkboard thickers on top of a pink ticket. The little roses are stuck outside of the page protector because they were too thick to fit inside. [ETA: I had to take those flowers off and replaced them with a flat badge, they were just too bulky and warping all the other pages in my album]

last year, May Day 2012

We stood in the same spot for a self-timer photo together last year too. It's great how easy this project makes it to look back on the previous year. I think it will be neat to see the different variations year to year.

I am linked up with The Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday. The PL kits I am using are the Seafoam kit and Clementine kit, with multi-pack page protectors, and grid journaling cards.

my favorite tea party.

2013-05-16T23:17:00.000-05:00

I scrapped this page for this month's Anthologie Collection at One Story Down. One more Disney page down (and a million more to go).

I just loved the 'mood board' for this collection. And, after seeing the collections, it was not hard to get inspired.

After looking through the collections and picking papers to work with I started with a sheet of white cardstock and my trusty water color set from Target by Kid Made Modern. Such a good buy and a great variety of colors. I was sort of going for an ombre effect, choosing colors from the collection.

I made the papers and my photos into a collage digitally and just them apart after printing it out. One sheet, and no waste. I like that. I think I would normally stress about using just a small rectangle of 'real' paper on a traditional layout.

After arranging all my papers I decided I liked the look better with a few left off so the watercolor could show through a bit more. Sometimes less is more? (Don't hold me to that!)

I stitched down the rectangles. My stitching is pretty messy. Let's just say it was intentional. For the title, I used a journaling card and some mistable thickers (these are similar) which I dabbed them with my leftover watercolor. Waste not, want not. I'm all about going green.

I used a few of my new SC May kit stamps here and there, mostly because I was excited to use them. I stamped a bit on the edges and a map in the middle. Not necessarily thematic, but I suppose it doesn't matter. Consider the tea cup is really a ship and we are afloat on it. It could happen.

Here is the whole thing again. I added a few gold glitter stars (mess free glitter is always a plus) and wood veneer pieces to add texture. I used the new Studio Calico Atlantic collection for the wooden anchor and heart circle. Looking at these photos was definitely bittersweet, but I'm glad I scrapped them.

If you want more Disney scrapbooking inspiration, check out my friend Ashli Oliver. I love her latest page using up some of that darn Disney ephemera. I have a ton that I just can't part with yet rarely scrap with.

I also created a Pinterest board for Disney inspiration. I would love to get some more 'modern' Disney scrapbooking inspiration together. Leave your pinterest link or email if you would like to be added to the board!

Submitted for the ink challenge at SSS; watercolor, stamping and distress inked edges - ink is definitely a theme!

Mother's Day: It's my party and I'll instagram if I want to ...

2013-05-16T20:50:00.000-05:00

So, if you follow me on instagram sorry about the deluge on Sunday. I just found it very pleasant to take a little extra time to post a ton of pictures of my adorable little children. We had a pretty low key day in general. A last minute decision to get brunch, then a walk in the park and wading in the Barton Springs' pool. I honestly don't remember what we did after naps. Probably just unpack more boxes. Still no end in sight on those either.
This Mother's Day was hard for different reasons. For obvious reasons I am not feeling like the best mother right now. But something else about this forced holiday got to me. I really think that setting up fake expectations based on what I see others doing to celebrate is ridiculous.
I generally think that comparing myself to anyone else is just dumb. Why should someone else's party blog make me feel bad in any way? Pinterest is a bunch of pictures online, not a moral imperative. Unlike the Huffington Post, I don't feel the need to call other crafters stupid or uncool. To each his own I say.
So what if we didn't have brunch reservations? I really and truly just wanted to eat at home and avoid the rush anyway. I know that Avinash made me a card, his teacher texted me to let me know it is still in Houston. So why do I feel bad about not getting one on Sunday? I loved our walk around the park and Barton Springs. That should be enough. I need to change my own attitude more than anything.
I really should not complain at all. My own mother was all by herself on Mother's Day. I didn't even send her anything because I just figured my Dad could carry it with him when he flew back on Tuesday. Still, it must have been pretty lonely. I know I would have felt like that. I miss her so much but we have had a lot of good talks on the phone lately at least. Hope you guys had a good weekend/Mother's Day.

My blogging tips

2013-05-11T09:11:00.005-05:00

I am linking up today with Kelly's Korner SUYL, How to Find A Job.

I want to give my tips on working from home. While I don't make a ton of money, I do like the little bit I do make and the sense of purpose it gives my blogging.

1. Getting started
Start a blog and write about what you love. I love my family and I have a passion for crafting. I start with that and go from there. Project Life was a great scrapbooking project for me. It gave me a weekly blog topic and a way to record our family memories on a regular basis. Find something you love and can see yourself sticking with.

2. Affiliates
Look for relevant affiliates. I joined Avant link a few years ago. It provides a commission for each sale I generate. I use it for TwoPeas scrapbooking to tie in with my layouts. I also recently joined their program for Steals.com, which has a daily scrapbooking deal as well as regular deals.
Another great affiliate program is Shareasale, they cover Simon Says Stamp, Scrapbook.com and One Kings Lane.
You can basically just show how you use products and provide links to buy in your post, which is what I do. You can also just put out links on social media letting people know about sales or deals through Facebook and Twitter.

3. Ads
I signed up with BlogHer recently. I get paid a few dollars each month in ads. It is not a ton of money, but it is slow and steady. Every once in a while they contact you about special ad posts which allow you to earn several hundred dollars. Those make it really worthwhile.

4. Etsy

I first opened my shop, Rainbow Scrapbooks, when I started doing Project Life. I sold handmade PL cards at first. Then I added on die cut cards and polaroid frames when I got a cameo. This year I started selling washi tape as well.

I took a few large custom orders as well recently and think it is something I need to do more often even though it is more time consuming than my regular shop.
I made a set of custom initial polaroid frames for a wedding. I also had a huge order for die cut 12*12 pages and PL cards. I do my own design work, so it was a lot of fun working with the clients coming up with fun and new designs.

I encouraged my cousin to start her own shop as well. She has a passion for painting and makes some amazing canvases.

5. Pinterest
Lastly, marketing. I know there are a lot of different ways to market yourself but my favorite is Pinterest. I will always be something of an introvert and chatting all day long on message boards or FB just doesn't work for me. I do love Pinterest however. Because my projects are very visual oriented they are very well suited to pinterest.

Here are my top two pinterest tips.

Make your photo vertical.

Add some text.

That's it!
I have tripled my page views with these tips and increased my Etsy sales by at least double.

Give these tips a try and let me know if you have questions. I hope this helps.

Project Life: Disney Pages

2013-05-07T00:38:00.001-05:00

This Week: We were still in California and at Disneyland mostly. Life was pretty hard once we got back home. I want to include it somehow, but not yet. Maybe next week. I decided to go picture heavy instead, with just two journaling cards and a few embellishments. Mostly labels and printables.

First Side: I used one journaling card. I bought the filler card set only for the Jade PL kit. With coupons it was only a few dollars, and I really doubt I need the entire kit given all I have already.
I choose this card because I thought I could quickly document what happened each day of the week.
But, I quickly felt like writing, M- California Adventure, T-Both parks, etc, would have been boring. So, I wrote about moments instead.
That is why I do what I do.
Treasuring the moments.

I just love Disney pictures with the blurry castle in the background. I used Jillibean Soup white alpha stickers (total KP white alpha precursors in my opinion) and a few wood veneer stars. Very similar to these.
I added a freckled fawn 'Fly' wood chip to this Ormolu banner on the picture on the tea cups. I love the tea cups.

I absolutely adore this brad, but I forced myself to unhoard and just use it. Plus, then I could feel okay about not embellishing the Mickey Photo. The brad was making the pocket buckle something awful however so I used my scissors to open a slit in the corner and popped that bad boy out like a big blackhead. Much prettier though.

Second side: Again, I kept things simple. I definitely felt like the big DREAM banner made enough of a statement that I could keep the rest of the page pretty plain. After I was done, I just felt like it needed more texture, so I popped on a bunch of flair too.

Another Jade filler card. I wrote about Lily and Avinash. Seriously, I am so grateful for how joyful he is around her.

Oh, and the UP dog totally jumped when I said "squirrel". Nandini did too. Awesome moment.

Let me know if you have any questions. I use a lot of digital products, and created a FREE Printables board on Pinterest to keep track (and, I work really hard to make sure that the pins there are all 'live links' and not spam). I am linked up with The Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday. The PL kits I am using are the Seafoam kit and Clementine kit, with multi-pack page protectors, and grid journaling cards. Thank you so much to everyone in this wonderful community. I love all the feedback and looking at everything people do each week. It definitely keeps me motivated. Also, please include a link to your projects below so we can check them out too.

I was so psyched to see Kelly Purkey's new Project Life kit came out today. I am definitely going to try it out this time, since I missed last month. Just love her style and so miss her stamp desigs at SC.

It's okay to love Houston.

2013-05-06T23:52:00.001-05:00

We have lived in Houston for nearly five years. Both our babies were born here and I just can't help loving it.

I think it is common for people to bash Houston in favor of trendier cities, (in fact a friend of ours just reminded us how we never shut up about New York for like six months when we first got here) but it definitely has a way of growing on you.

It is very livable. The museums, parks, and zoo are so accessible. And it is very family oriented. I have never had such a bountiful garden. I love the weather, and tonight was no exception.

The last few days have been rough, but all the love we've received from our friends has been amazing. Brunches, dessert, and a good bye dinner tonight.

My parents flew down a few days ago just because they were worried about me so they were able to be there too. They kept offering to come last week, but I kept saying no. Finally Ryan pushed me to let them come down here. I was definitely struggling with everything and felt like I was not the best mom. I just had no energy or take the kids like I normally do or even play simple games with them. It has been such a blessing having my parents here. I need to remember that it is okay to ask for help (or just say yes to the offer!) when I am coming unglued.

Love that my friends choose a place with a sandbox. And this really pretty view of downtown.

We are so blessed. It makes me so sad to think of the friends our kids will leave behind too. They literally have grown up together!

I just hope that everyone will make it out to Austin soon so they can show us around! If the kids look like a blur, blame the pop-ice ;)

Day in the Life: April 2013

2013-05-02T21:54:00.000-05:00

I loved the idea of doing this project each month and putting it all together in a mini album. I was so excited about it at the beginning of the year. And, I have really enjoyed working on it and putting it together. Even though my pictures are no where near as artistic or original as some, I just focus on my children like I do with most things these days. I take very few photos of my feet or my meals.

Cue April. I was having a pretty rough day on Tuesday. I had another not so fun doctor's appointment (not documented) and an energy level of zero. I decided to play along anyway and picked up the camera when I noticed how adorable Nandini was acting. She really wanted to go out, but I was not up for it, so she just sat in her stroller eating snacks anyway.

She must have been really bored because she started climbing the ladder in our living room, which she has always been afraid of.

Avinash was game to check out the lizard outside with me.

I got fresh ramps and baby carrots at the store. If you know me, you know that I have been obsessed with ramps for years. I roasted them with the carrots and a little balsamic. They did not disappoint.

And, Ryan kindly took this picture of us playing 'Go Fish'. Grateful he was in town that evening even though he had another 5AM bus back to work in the morning.

Not pictured is my nap in the afternoon, the crying, the long phone calls and texts with friends. Ryan keeps telling me that we'll get through this. And, I know he's right, but I just need a little more time I think.

Suffice to say I did not work on my mini album for this month yet. I think I am just going to keep it super simple and hopefully won't stress about it too much. I think the writing is going to be the hardest part.

Project Life: Week 16

2013-04-29T23:49:00.000-05:00

Scrapbooking has always been such good therapy for me. It gets me out of my own head. I had no clue what to do with myself these past few days other than sit around and mope. I put this together just because I needed some kind of accomplish-able goal. Even though Ryan was out of town and now Avinash seems to be getting sick, I got it done in bits and pieces when they slept. I kept it very simple this week.

This week: Was my 32nd birthday. I asked Ryan if we could go to LA instead of a party or anything. Between flight credits and Disney points, it worked out. I guess we didn't do much at home before we left. I took few pictures and honestly I don't remember.

First side: A random collection of things. Avinash's night time questions. A few beach pictures to help connect the two sides. We had a fabulous dinner out in LA, and I only broke one chair!
I matted our photo on this glitz birthday paper, added a few pink fabric thickers, black letter stickers. Finally used the foodie stamp set too.

I used an SC kit PL card here. The die cut looking everyday is actually a sticker. And, yes, when she says paper it sounds like papier. So cute I just want to squeeze her all the time. Then she runs away when I try to give her hugs. Weird.
The top card is also SC. I added an Amy Tangerine sticker and recolored some alpha stickers with silver metallic. I love painting over things with a metallic sharpie. Sharpie covers up anything. Initially I was going for the chic minimalist look with just the ormolu flair, but all the stickers kinda got away from me.

I trimmed off this misspelled SC journaling card to hold the date. Mostly I just like that font (dotness or dotline I believe).

Look at my Audrey Hepburn baby. So glamorous. I find it so funny because she usually throws every hat off and to the ground in seconds. The little word strips are Paislee Press.

It is so hard to find cards for these non-A page protectors. Finally found something that worked. I added a bit of washi and ribbon to the side to give it some definition.

How happy does she look here? I know, I know. But she would follow that cat around everywhere. And just lie on the bed. Font is Savu. A lovely handwritten sans serif. Chipboard is old Maya Road.

Second Side: I printed out this lovely print at home. Despite all of Ryan's incredulity, I did actually take this picture myself (and added a rainbow overlay using Pixlr, but don't tell him that). I added two Ormolu fabric flappers (at 75% off now, I had to get second pack) and one paislee press tab. I was going for getting it done quickly but I spent so much time staring at it and just figuring out what I wanted to do it really didn't feel that fast.

Wood veneer, trend thickers, and a little journaling.

ps. TwoPeas is having a huge sale and I just noticed that wood veneers stars are back in stock!!

Let me know if you have any questions. Linked up with The Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday. The PL kits I am using are the Seafoam kit and Clementine kit, with multi-pack page protectors, and grid journaling cards. Thank you so much to everyone in this wonderful community. I love all the feedback and looking at everything people do each week. It definitely keeps me motivated. Also, please include a link to your projects below so we can check them out too.

Thank you

2013-04-29T22:36:00.001-05:00

to everybody who commented, called, texted, fb messaged me, helped me out with the kids, met up with us, offered a hand, and is just there for us. You have no idea how much it all means to me. I'm trying to keep a list of everything I'm grateful for and be sad when I need to be.

I love you guys.

Falling down hard.

2013-04-26T09:59:00.000-05:00

I found this series of pictures on Ryan's phone yesterday. It struck me as kinda funny because I had no idea these pictures were taken. I realize that maybe Nandini grabbed the camera and took half of these. Yes, that is the hem of my skirt on the ground there. And her finger over the lens.

The last thing that happened to me before we left Disneyland was I fell flat and landed on the back of my head. It was like being rudely pushed out of this hazy dream of characters, rides and a big pink castle, down onto the harsh reality of solid concrete.

I fell even harder the next day. I went to see my Ob's NP because of some bleeding. We hoped it was only spotting, but it wasn't. She calmly delivered the news that the sac was empty. No heartbeat, nothing. The baby was gone.

She printed out a picture from the ultrasound machine. I instinctively reached out for it, but as she quietly put it away in the chart I realized there was only one copy and it wasn't for me. I felt so stupid.

We were only 8 weeks along and had hardly told anyone yet. We had only known ourselves for about 3 weeks. I even felt stupid for coming in at all. For wasting her time on a baby that wasn't even there anymore. She still wants to do more bloodwork and another ultrasound to be sure, but I know it is all pointless.

Life keeps going of course, especially when you have two littles who need taking care of and don't really understand what's going on anyway. I called a few people, left vague messages to call me back. A few people texted me to see what was wrong. Ryan was amazing throughout. I was so happy last week because he really made me feel taken care of on my birthday, and he did it again this week.

Even though it was so new and so early, it is hard not to start making plans. We rented a house in Austin with a 4th bedroom. We bought a little onesie set at Target, so the baby could have something new. I started writing about it in my Project Life album. I thought about going back and taking it out or covering it with pictures, but I don't want to pretend. Not sure how or if I will document this loss, but I don't want to act like the baby never existed at all. We already loved it and were so excited.

Visiting California, seeing our cousins and being at Disneyland was so magical. Being back home is just like slamming into reality all over again. It is hard to think about that while we there, having fun, the baby was dying, or was already gone. I just don't know if I will ever know how to feel about that.

Project Life: Week 15

2013-04-25T23:08:00.000-05:00

This week: We went house hunting in Austin. We went to brunch. We did projects at the museum and we went to the Japanese Day festival in the park.

The full spread. Lots of SC kit cards this week. Love the corkboard card. Especially with the 'fight the power' instagram of Nandini. (See her little fist in the air?) Not too much color overall. I kind of loved these photos I took of Avi and Nandini in the hotel, and let the 'minimalist' thing take over from there. Well, minimalist for me.

Second Side: I have used that Geralyn Sy filler card many times before, but I found a place for it again this week. Call it a theme?
I used another Clementine horizontal card (only available in digi), and added this adventure stamp. A serious gem from the SC retail line.

The little loved tag is from the Lucky Charm bits. And yes, they are magically delicious.

I printed out this free april circle (from here) after I recolored it bright red. I just pasted it to the outside of the pp. It is a free printable that I found on Pinterest, but darn it if I can't find the source anywhere. Sorry. Anyway, can't be that hard to recreate. White text and a colored background, cut or punch out in circle shape.

I made an insert this week too. I have been taking photos of Avinash's preschool art creations and then letting go of the guilt as I chuck them in the trash. I made a mini layout with hanging 'frames' and I put a story of his on the back along with a page of Nandini's 'writing'.

Let me know if you have any questions. Linked up with The Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday. The PL kits I am using are the Seafoam kit and Clementine kit, with multi-pack page protectors, and grid journaling cards. Thank you so much to everyone in this wonderful community. I love all the feedback and looking at everything people do each week. It definitely keeps me motivated. Also, please include a link to your projects below so we can check them out too!

Project Life: Week 14 Adventure

2013-04-15T00:34:00.002-05:00

This week: We went to Round Top to look at antiques and eat pie (twice!). We found out that Ryan got a new job in Austin. We took bluebell pictures (for the second week in a row) at this lovely place near Brenham on 290. Just a huge field filled with flowers. We decorated eggs and hung out with friends. Nandini started trying to mimic letters with her crayons. Avi tried to play April Fool's jokes but was always giving away the punchline.

The whole spread. Always so happy when I remember to take a picture of everything. I'm going to miss this wood when we move.

First Side: Most of my pictures in this album are daytime pictures. So, when I saw this picture Ryan took one evening I decided to put it in. It is a bit yellow and dark, but I have so few unposed shots of me and the kids I wanted to include it anyway.

I printed out a collage sheet of photos from Round Top and wanted a quick& seamless way to put them on my spread. I made two journaling cards using a Paislee Press kit. Then I took a ombre'd piece of BG patterned paper and chopped it to fit into the pockets.
I like that the ombre lets your eye know that it is one paper and one set of photos. Interspersing it with those kraft cards helps it from becoming one heavy block on the side of the page. I put woodgrain thickers across three pockets to further emphasize their continuity. I had some old banner chipboard pieces that I added to each card. Then I drew a few thin outlines around each card and just filled in my journaling between the photos. All together I think it looks surprisingly good for how cluttered it is.

Technically this picture is from the day before our easter egg hunt. Oh well. Love the simplicity of the midnight kit (I am using the digi kit). I trimmed a Becky Higgins Holiday Mini kit to get the 'easter egg hunt' tab. Those chipboard alphas are Basic Grey.

This is easily my favorite part of the spread. I stamped a Studio Calico stamp in neon pink (just like I did here), added a border of rainbow stripe washi and black thickers for contrast.

I split the blue sky photo between two pockets and I added my journaling on a die cut kraft circle. It is a lot of color, but I love it.

Side two: I used a Paislee Press woodgrain card for the new month. A BH holiday mini kit card for the 'Sunday Brunch' picture of Avi in front of the periodic table. I split another photo of him and just journaled about some random stuff that came to mind about him.
I put a 3x4 polaroid frame around the four of us in the bluebell picture. Always so nice when people offer to take a group shot for you.
I added this picture of me and Nandini from Day in the Life. The journaling circle is from Chic Tags, with a little wood veneer camera on top. I used the self-timer to get this picture. Nandini wanted nothing else to read her book.

Nandini was such a doll this day. She just decided it was the perfect time for coloring outside and out she went. I used another BH Holiday Mini Kit card trimmed and topped with those same black thickers. Her actual drawing was washed out in the photo so I used that space for journaling. Also love how you can still see the Holi powder all over the rug outside.

Brother&sister. They both look so vulnerable here. Pulls at my heart strings. I added a few brother sister stickers to the side. I wasn't sure about them, but they refused to lift off after I put them down. I guess they add color to this side anyway.

Just wanted to let you all know that I am offering free domestic shipping in my Etsy shop on all orders over $10 to celebrate spring, just type in RAINBOWS at checkout. If you are international, email me and I can send you a slightly different code (kumar.niru at gmail.com). Thank you everybody!

You Laugh..

2013-04-12T13:33:00.000-05:00

I am playing along with another Centipede challenge from the JBS mercantile forum today. I'm still a little bummed that I didn't get time to play Calvinball last month, but I am trying to make up for it now..

I made this layout with the 'stamp on text paper' challenge in mind. Actually, I thought they meant notebook paper at first, so I included this sheet from a new Rifle&Co. notebook, (my new major score from Target).

I used this sheet of Wren patterned paper that did have text on it, without realizing it was for the challenge. From there I stenciled the medallions in teal chalk ink and punched some blue patterned paper to sit in the center. I messy stamped this butterfly + text bookplate stamp over it. The layers are part of a JBS hodge podge book that I took apart. I love the old check printed on a transparency. I used vanilla glitter thickers and red JBS letter stickers for the title.

I decided to add a few more stamps because I was itching to use my new Ormolu stamp sets - montage and

made.

The ribbon is some old velvet trim I got from my mom's stash. (See? Doesn't that make you feel better about hoarding stuff? Our children may someday find and be enthralled with it!)

I have one last JBS project to share, which I created for the JBS inspiration blog.

I need to get started on my project life layout for last week. I am no where with "This is Me" yet. Maybe this weekend. That's all for now. Hope you guys will play along with the JBS centipede challenge too!

Here is my count so far:
1. Take a walk - Our walk around Round Top (why not?)
2. Nature in the home - My Patio Garden

Project Life - Lizard

2013-04-11T00:56:00.000-05:00

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My project life post is a little late this week because went to Austin to start house hunting. Still no luck yet, but we are keeping our fingers crossed. The market is really tough out there right now. Anyway, back to PL.

This week: We took a trip to Hill Country with my parents after Nandini's birthday. My mom wanted to do the beach, but it is still too cold. We played Holi again at home like three more times. Avi had the week off of school for Passover, so we also played a lot at home. So fun to see Avinash and Nandini playing together more and more.

What I used: Most of my cards are from a digital kit at One Story Down by Two More Days. This kit is really graphic and fun. I thought it paired well with my bright Holi color pictures. My go to embellishments are still thickers, wood veneers and enamel dots to add texture.

First side: Love that big picture of Nandini covered in color.

And the photo of Avinash and Nana roasting s'mores. I added text to it (font: Silverfake) and a make magic Ormolu flapper. Love those little things.

I also added a little digital stamp from Two More Days to our bluebells photo.

I took a piece of cardstock outside on one of our Holi days and let it get covered in color. I let it dry and then trimmed it down to fit in a pocket. Then I wrapped it in clear OA washi tape so the powder wouldn't leak out all over the place. I found the days of the week washi worked well with my "play Holi everyday" theme.

The black glitter thickers were added on top of the pocket. I find that foam thickers are very sticky and adhere well to the plastic.

The little heart on the photo is a fabric flapper from BG.

Nandini keeps losing one shoe. We call her little Cinderella, plus she loves helping me with laundry. I think I have to make a full page about this as well. I added a Chic tag Love note triangle to this TMD journaling card.

I love that picture of Avinash and Nandini in front of the old barn. As soon as I saw it at the hotel I knew it was perfect mini-photo shoot material. I cut apart that little banner from some SC printables. That cute little notebook paper bag is from Whisker. I tiny attached a little die cut and added the date to the photo (my only one of the spread I think).

I used an Amy Tangerine stamp on this journaling card. How cute is the hand drawn chevron? I am so blown away by it. I added a MS label sticker to the picture of me. It turned out a bit dark, but I still like it. I layered an SC sundrifter wood veneer over a BG sticker.

Second side: Love that little story about Avinash's nature scavenger hunt at the hotel. He spotted this lizard all on his own. I thought the Trend thickers paired well with the photo and black striped card.

Love those Holi pictures where you can the color just scattered in the air. I stamped white on kraft to make this sticker. I added a cork arrow from SC and this BG button. It looks really Indian I think.

The A is a coordinating TMD font. I added it directly to the photo before printing.

I cut this circle out from another TMD journaling card and stapled it on to the photo. I could have added it on digitally, but I don't always plan ahead. I just journaled right around it.

On a side note, in my Etsy shop I am offering free domestic shipping on all orders over $10 to celebrate spring, just type in RAINBOWS at checkout. If you are international, email me and I can send you a slightly different code (kumar.niru at gmail.com). Thank you everybody!

"This is me...."

2013-04-10T01:14:00.001-05:00

I signed up for a new scrapbooking class over at Studio Calico. It is all about documenting yourself. A novel concept in my memory keeping to be sure.

I haven't even selected an album to use for this and I have already hit a wall. Everything I think of is somehow in relation to my children. I love them a lot, but I am struggling to find my own voice.

Maybe I'm overthinking this project just a little and need to dive right in.

To be honest, the class itself has frustrated me a lot. Starting with the name. This is me? That is not a sentence. And, part of being 'me' is being a grammar nerd. Sorry, so no, I don't want to title my album "this is me", it just makes my skin crawl.

Also, most of the example pages are about people's possessions. I am just not into that. I think collections can be fun, but to me, it is just not as page-worthy as people and emotions.

See? I told you I was overthinking this.

Our lives keep getting more and more busy. And, seem to be getting more so. I am inspired by my friend who says she sits down for fifteen minutes or so each night to put something together. That is going to be my new goal. And I will share what I come up when it does finally start coming together. Thanks for listening.

favorite books.

2013-04-05T03:26:00.000-05:00

Our kids, like most, love being read to. Avinash is starting to memorize short words and even read a few of the simple ones. He quickly gives up any effort if we try to push him at all but we are happy to let him learn at his own pace for now.

I do love it though when I catch him by himself 'reading' books. His little sister is starting to do the same thing too. Most of the books we read are old favorites, but we have found a few great new ones thanks to the library's weekly giveaways at storytime.

1. Orange Pear Apple Bear
This book is so silly and cute. Just these few words repeated over and over. Avi can sound out the words. Nandini tries to repeat what they say. It is funny because she calls all these fruits oranges and her favorite lovey is a bear (which she sometimes calls a bowwow).

2. My Very First Book of Words
This book really is a wonderful first reader, especially if you have a child that loves games and is hesitant to read like ours. The book has two rows of pages, the upper row has the words, you have to flip through the bottom row of pages to find the matching pictures. I was amazed at how many words Avinash was able to read on his own with this book. Definitely a keeper.

3. Spooky Old Tree
This is a very old book of Ryan's, that seems to be very early Berenstain Bears. There is a mysterious younger brother in this book who does not seem to appear again. There is twisty old stair and a giant bear. Both of them love to sit and listen to this book. It is a light and easy read. Interesting enough to keep my son's attention (and mine), and quick enough to hold the baby's as well.

4. Messy Room
I loved this book as a kid and I still do now. The organization is just inspiring. I can even get the kids to clean up their rooms every once in a while after reading this book to them. Score. I also love that Avinash combs through all the pictures of books on the back looking for new ones he just knows he is going to love. Just like I used to too.

5. Charlotte's Web
This was the first chapter book Avinash and Ryan read together. They did it over a week or two. We love anything by E.B. White and this was a perfect chapter book to start out with. The story definitely held his attention. He paid close attention to the pigs at the rodeo and has told me many a story about spiders and egg sacks since. Ryan was amazed at how many names and details he remembered from the book.

6. Ganesha's Sweet Tooth
Ryan recently purchased this new story book for them as well. It is a fictionalized retelling of how Ganesha wrote down the Mahabharata epic using his tusk as a pen. Instead of breaking it off himself, the tooth falls off after he bites into a jawbreaker laddoo. Our children love to read books about our culture and it is always a thrill to find new ones. Avi very proudly showed it to his Nana and asked him to read it. I think it makes them feel more connected, and I like that this book makes Hinduism a little more relatable since they get very little main stream exposure to it on a daily basis. Being different is hard, especially when you are little. I am extremely grateful too for the few Sesame Street episodes which focus on Indian culture. If Elmo likes ladoo, what else do I need to tell them? { Plus, they both remembered how much they love laddoo and have finished most of my stash in the freezer. Also, am I rambling? I feel like I'm rambling.}

These books are nothing that new or groundbreaking, but I just wanted to relate our experiences with them and how they worked for us at this age (2 and 4). Linking up with Kelly's Korner.

Go West: Exploring Round Top

2013-04-03T23:04:00.000-05:00

Round Top is a huge antiques fair in Texas April 3-6, just roughly 1.5 hours from Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

Normally the population of Round Top is 90.

How cute is that?

I have read about people's adventures to Round Top before, but it sounded so impossibly far away I never even considered going. And even though I may love decorating and buying new old furniture, it is not really a necessity.

I didn't learn where it was located until last weekend when we took a ~~one hour wrong turn~~ cheerful country detour on our way to San Antonio last weekend and literally drove through Round Top.

Combine this amazing discovery with the fact that we are moving soon and I suddenly want all the things I've been pinning, I mean pining, over for years.

Luckily it was no trouble at all convincing Ryan to go too. We decided to make a day trip of it and opted out of renting a uhaul or anything. Many places offer shipping and we were planning a second trip later with friends anyway.

We brought both kids. People were really sweet to them all day. They both got candy, which tasted like ice cream with chocolate chips on it. Apparently. Avinash also ate three donuts (poor Nandini only had one). Which is good because he has really been craving them since seeing an episode of Curious George with 100 dozen donuts.

We worked on the 'one finger rule'. He was very good about it.

There is so much to take in. We just walked around for a while and gawked.

Apparently having a huge move coming up makes me lose the urge to do many things like do laundry and pick up clutter and toys all over the floor for the 80th time in a day. But, the need to buy huge marquee letters for the kids? Sky high.

Antique multicolored abacus? I never even knew that I wanted this! (I didn't get it, but it is so cute, sigh).

How do we feel about this tiara? Not enough or too much?

This solar system model is so cool. But cost way too much (400? No way. Sorry.)

There are a ton of cute pieces for scrapbookers too. I didn't get much, but it was good to get ideas and just fun to see what was there. Love all the old post office cabinets and printers trays.

We actually bought the most stuff at this little tent stop right off of 290. The prices seemed much better there than at the big tent places. By this time is was raining so I didn't get any pictures of our finds, but I promise some tomorrow!

We ended our trip with pie, so even the kids were happy. And, I totally did not bring home like five extra slices for later. Nope, not even one.

I am counting this for the JBS Centipede blog challenge ... take a walk. Take a walk we did.

Day in the Life: March 2013

2013-04-02T09:31:00.001-05:00

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I had so much fun with Day in the Life this month. I documented some of the day on Friday, ran out of steam by the evening, and started over on Saturday. That was a very eventful day and I liked that.
Overall, I used the same format as I have in previous months (January + February). A month divider. One sheet of cardstock, divided among two page protectors to hold my photos and journaling.
I used a piece of patterned paper cut to 4x7 as my monthly divider. Simply embellished with a doily, small black BG letters, and some seam binding. Love that stuff.
I had placed the pink clothespin on there to keep the seam binding in place while I stitched it, but decided to leave it in place.

These notebooks from Target are definitely inspiring me.

I used watercolors to add confetti dots to this page. The vellum garland just seemed to match, and I was able to continue it throughout my pages of journaling.

My hands are definitely not that steady so I used a round wood veneer to get evenly shaped circles.

I added the times with letter stickers - brown, blue, and white. I used washi tape to hold the

Lots of words + a little wood camera and more vellum garland. I like how it continues the look of stitching from the divider, but without all the effort. Hopefully you can see how the 6x12 sheet of cardstock is folded over and tucked into the page protector to create extra space for journaling.

I paired this new Amy Tangerine cityscape stamp, stamped in grey and colored in with watercolors. I may sometimes dip my brush in old tea and wipe it off on my grey sweatshirt because I am a very conscientious painter like that.

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I made a few printables for Day in the Life, or Project Life, from my watercolor design. You can save the images here: March & April.

Linked up with + inspired by Ali Edwards.

Project Life: Trouble.

2013-04-02T01:03:00.003-05:00

This week: We celebrated Nandini's birthday (again!) with a fun party in the park. We visited the gardens at Bayou Bend, to see all the spring flowers in bloom. We had a picnic by the art museum when my parents came to visit. I spent a lot of time preparing for the party, so we hung out at home alot - reading and playing outside.

First Side: A few Paislee press journaling cards and a printed tag. One seafoam card on each side this week. Lots of photos. I tried to add bits of texture to balance them out. Mostly wood veneers and some letter stickers.

I am also liking this set of BG stickers alot. I know they are meant to be 'boy-themed' but I have no trouble using them with pictures of Nandini. It just makes me laugh. I printed out a few wallet size pictures and I was able to make a mini layout on a journal card. I

I layered this freckled fawn 'hello' bubble over a few different letter stickers - glitter foam, fabric and chipboard.

I stamped a Martha label and put in on a seafoam card. I love to cut a square photo so that it covers two pockets.

This tag is a Paislee press digi element. I layered a Crate sticker and MME wood button on top. How awesome is the scene of N running to my dad?

I love these black script thickers. So rare to get a good group shot. I used a bit of kesi art paper to make a photo corner.

Look at that little foot. She is so interested in this album. She points out all the people she knows and shouts out their names. Her favorite is finding herself, baby!

Second side: Lots more pictures. I included a journaling card and die cut polaroid from my Etsy shop. I stamped a little phrase on the polaroid, love how it adds a crisp white edge to the spread among all the bright pink and blue.

I added a few dear Lizzy stickers (love this collection, trying so hard not to hoard it!) to the picture of my dad feeding N cake. The photo is mounted on a printed tag. I colored some enamel dots with a gold sharpie to finish it off. Nice to get a little touch of metallic here and there.

I stocked up on these Hey Day wooden words when they went on sale. So amazing to teach Avinash the magic of dandelions in the spring.

A little collage of our garden here (and a Studio Calico card). I put in a little CP die cut for the month and added a little camera on top. The font is easy open face.

Found a place for this dear lizzy fabric sticker and gold numbers to mark the date. Put them right across the middle of the photo, instead of the usual side or top.

I slipped a notebook paper bag in the pocket next to it and added yet another color thicker (surf foam) there for a title. I like having a rainbow of color in my spreads I think, it gives me balance.

What worked: Having quite a few digi cards already printed out and ready to use made things go pretty smoothly.

Instead of sorting through everything I own for embellishments, I stuck with wood veneers, letter stickers and a few other stickers. Most of this stuff lives on my raskog so it was easy to access.

Having a lot of photos to choose from always make it easy, but I do miss not having that many random moments recorded this week.

On a side note, in my Etsy shop I am offering free domestic shipping on all orders over $10 to celebrate spring. If you are international, email me and I can send you a slightly different code (kumar.niru at gmail.com). Thank you everybody!

Play Holi Everyday

2013-03-30T23:34:00.002-05:00

Holi is definitely a favorite holiday in our family.

Avinash and Nandini and I played a little yesterday with the leftover color powder outside on our patio.

Ryan said, you can just see the joy in his face whenever we play. How could I say no to playing again two days after real Holi?

We played again as a family on Wednesday. I tried to surprise everybody at first by telling them, Don't come out on the patio!

Can you believe they actually listened? When does that happen?

Nandini was not a fan of the tub bath outside afterwards.

And of course, we continued the tradition of playing Holi at Nandini's birthday part last Saturday.

These kids were unbelievably excited to play. So thankful to all the parents and friends who overlooked the mess and let them have fun together.

Messes are temporary, but the memories are not.

Why play Holi once when you can play everyday?

Today: using Shimelle's central focus sketch

2013-03-28T10:38:00.000-05:00

I started with this sketch from Shimelle. I don't usually work from sketches because I always want to feel like I am doing my own thing. Pages made from sketches always take me longer to get done. And sketches sorta feel like copying. I am trying to get over that and take inspiration where I can get it.

I knew this was a really fun sketch after I saw it, so I figured it was worth a try.

I dug through my last few Studio Calico kits and pulled a few different patterned papers. I love all the pink in Neverland this month, but it is so easy to scrap with neutrals and light blue. I used this chalkboard paper, two pieces of light blue, script days of the week paper, and kraft paper with white arrows for the middle. I added a sheet of vellum to soften the layers a bit.

I moved the circles around a bit and put one button on top of the page. I used this cute fabric pinwheel from Amy Tangerine, Yes Please. I just grabbed the wooden title from the same sticker set. I used pink letters to match her dress and the trees in the background. I have a few kesi art roller stamps that I used here as well.

Project Life: Birthday week

2013-03-25T01:00:00.000-05:00

This week: Nandini turned two. We celebrated as a family with a picnic in the park (her party was the next weekend). We also went strawberry picking and back to the rodeo one last time. Avinash started a new routine of wanting to sleep in my bed with my old baby tiger. I did this spread a couple days earlier than usual and it was much easier to remember the little details (clearly there is too much aluminum in my deodorant).

Page one: Found my groove with the vertical photos this week. Just lots and lots of pictures. I used many cards of the American Crafts holiday kit again this week. I used a few die cut ephemera from Crate Paper and Lucky Charm here (why are they so hard for me to use!). I layered wood on wood, putting the word happy over a little banner. I also have a few SC printables circles here and there (love this, hi, today, love). I used my new circle mask (thanks Anandi!) on a tag and I stamped&gold embossed with this Lucky Charm roller all over.

A few MME buttons and banners here and there go a long way to adding dimension to the pockets. I used the boy crazy set and the sweetest thing set. The teal letter stickers are Jillibean soup, my fave flat alphas for Project Life. The yellow ones on the wooden tag are from an SC kit, they should totally sell those too!

I stamped on a little Martha Stewart tag and added some 'faux washi' stickers from Crate. I added some wooden stars, a camera and enamel dot to finish it off. I realized that I used to put wooden cameras everywhere last year and I really miss that.

Page two: I moved things around quite a bit on this side. So much that I tore the bottom seam. Luckily a little squirrel paperclip works well to hold things in place (I hate slipping). All of these cards are printables, mostly American Crafts Holiday Line, and one paislee press woodgrain card. So simple and so epic.

The gold glitter thickers were special enough to document Nandini's birth date (pi baby!). I chopped a journaling card in quarters and then wrote directly on the photo in white pen (sharpie poster paint pen). I did a bit more gold embossing on the memories card. I forgot how much I love the look of metallic embossing.

More printables. That font on the strawberry photo is peach sundress.

Our patio garden.

2013-03-19T17:12:00.002-05:00

Determined to take it slow today because of all the activity&excitement later in the week.

So no outings, just straight home after school. We did head outside to play on the patio for a while though. I love that they both help me with our plants. I kept refilling their little watering cans, at least before they started painting themselves with chalk. Why is is body art always so appealing?

We already have a few tomato flowers blooming. And one tiny little green tomato that I fear may never ripen. All of the plants are starting to wilt and I think I may need to start over. I tried putting coffee grounds in the pot, but I think that made things worse.

I have a huge pot, from a lemon tree that didn't make it, now full of basil, purple basil, and cilantro. My cilantro was very weak last year, hoping to keep it alive this year and save myself $.50 a week at the grocery store.

An errant acorn trying to become a tree. Avi and I track it's progress together.

Bougainvillea, jasmine and our lipstick flowers in the background. I so love when the jasmine starts flowering, one of my favorite scents in the world (I wore them in my hair at our wedding).

We have a ton of seedlings all over the place too. Just hoping I'll be able to figure out what is edible and what is not in a few weeks time.

Then, this happened. I blame Jill Sprott. I used a brick of cream cheese and made at least a dozen peppers. I made them vegetarian and used a bit of panko to get a crispy top. They were deemed to spicy by the rest of my family and I may have eaten almost the entire tray. And that is the story of why I will have a double chin in every picture taken this weekend.

Linking up with littlegreenshed for the Centipede Challenge at JBS too!

Imagine.

2013-03-18T23:20:00.003-05:00

I have been having a lot of fun with Studio Calico's Neverland kit this month. I have made three pages so far and have not even cut into my favorite papers yet. This month I swear I am finally going to use Kesi art paper on a real layout, I swear!

I made this page last week, and I love it. I used the b-side of an echo park paper. The front is full of PL style journaling cards, but none of them really spoke to me as much as this cool maze pattern. Blue is also a fave background color for me.
I used gesso on the bubbles stencil. Avinash punched these hearts for me the other day (much to my initial horror!), but turns out I really like them and the bokeh effect they create on the page.
I added a few wood chevrons, puffy foam stickers and die cut shapes I made.
I misted some fabric thickers in red and added a few different ones for contrast, blue foam, silver glitter and grey chipboard.
Totally channeling Soaphouse Mama Ashli and tried out some pen doodling here and there. I continued the doodling and bits and pieces across the page as well as the photos for continuity. Linking this up for Simon Says Stamp Water challenge.

Another Neverland page. I made a big die cut background for this one. I cut apart the new Maggie Holmes quote paper and stitched on some favorite lines. I added layered a few more papers under my photo, anchors and red starburst. Anchors are a bit weird I admit, but I think they can be used non-thematically. Like butterflies or birds. Or with birds? I think it worked.
This MME pinwheel paper was a lot of fun to cut up and use as embellishments. The colors in the paper are a bit muted, but it still looked nice. I just scattered some candy dots and drops of mist around to finish it up.

And last but not least. My first page for the new One Story Down! I was so happy when they re-opened their virtual doors. One of my favorite designers over there is Two More Days. I used her Welcome to the Weekend kit for this page.