2014 Video

Last December, I posted our annual family letter here on my blog, instead of enclosing it with our Christmas cards.

I loved that I could share MORE photos and MORE stories with friends, family members, and blog readers.

So, this year, I decided that I wanted to do something similar, but with a slightly different spin.

I knew I wanted to share photos; if you've been reading my blog long, you know how obsessed I am with taking and editing photos. :-)

But, to be honest, I just wasn't up to penning a long letter. 


So, I created a video, 2014. (When you click this link, you'll be taken to Vimeo to view the video.)

It's a 3-minute slideshow (created using Animoto), which highlights some of my
favorite photos from this past year. I threw in a couple of captions for good measure, but all-in-all, it's really basic and simple.

I've watched this video several times now, but every time it brings a big smile to my face.  Lots of wonderful memories were made this year.  

Thanks for watching!

A Lovely Gift for Mother's Day

Last Mother's Day, my two sisters and I collaborated on this gift for our mom.

It's a glass jar filled with 101 slips of colored paper.

Each slip of paper contains a reason why we love our mom. (There's a different color for each sister: Red for me, green for Nichole and turquoise for Katie.)  

Here's a look at what I wrote on eight of the 34 strips.

Mom, I love you...

• Because you taught me the value of thank you notes.

• Because you made me beef broth in the elephant cup when I was sick.

•  Because you took us on airplane flights--many times flying all by yourself with two or three kids.

• Because you assembled lots of photo albums with pictures of us as kids.

• Because you embrace new technologies.  New iPhone? Bring it on. A new computer? Yes, please. A Kindle reader? Definitely.

• Because you love to read, and you passed that love onto me. I enjoy words + stories today, in large part because of you.  

• Because you reminded me to move my elbows off the dining room table.

• Because you exposed me to lots of different types of music and artists: James Taylor. Earth, Wind & Fire. Dan Fogelberg. Willie Nelson. The Beatles. I remember listening to some vinyl records from your collection, lots of cassette tapes, and of course, CDs as I got older. 

The Process | First, I brainstormed as many reasons as I could, trying to be as specific as possible. I typed up the reasons in a Word document, and then went back a few days later, and chose my favorite 34 and neatly wrote them on red paper. After cutting the paper into strips, I folded them in half and placed them in the jar, which I bought at Beverly's with a 40% off coupon.  Score!

My sisters sent me their strips as well, and into the jar they went. I added some ribbon and a handcrafted tag, and it was ready for mom.    

Inspiration | I found this idea on--where else?--Pinterest.  Here's the original link, which contains a few other Mother's Day gift ideas.

While this gift is intended for kids to make for their moms, I'd argue that it's an awesome idea for adult kids, too.  Because I think moms of any age--whether they are in their 30s, 60s or 80s--would love to receive a Mother's Day present like this.

I know our mom did!

Your turn: What handmade items have you created to honor your mom on Mother's Day?

2013 Photo Album

There is no doubt: I am a memory keeper.

For a few years, Project Life worked well for housing my photos and stories.  

But this year, I decided to try something new.  Or rather, old.  Let me explain...

Originally, this black Crate & Barrel photo album, which I purchased back in 2010, held my greeting cards.

But now that I'm no longer creating cards, I decided to make it the home for my 2013 photos.

Let's take a quick peek inside, shall we?

Here is a look at the two February pages.

I especially love the photo of Tori (the bride), Chenoah, and me.  What a fun wedding! 

On the first page of each month, I've included a Month in Review card from Cathy Zielske.  It's the perfect size for encapsulating each month's goings-on.  And I love that I can easily change the color, depending on what coordinates best with the photos or what strikes my fancy.       

And the best part?  It's free!  Check it out HERE.

Now, turning to March...

The photo of Noah, right below the Month in Review card, is the first time I was able to capture him walking on his own with my DSLR.  I was so excited to get that shot!

To make it easier for me to quickly type up the Month in Review cards, I jot down events on our family calendar in the kitchen as well as on my iPhone calendar.  

Here are the April pages:

Not only do I love looking through this album, but so does Noah.

When he sneaks into my office (I usually leave the door closed because he likes to turn off my computer), Noah first stops to gaze at the Tractor Love layout and then he grabs this album.  He sets the book down on the floor and flips through the pages.  We talk about the who, the what and the when, briefly. 

For those few minutes, I'm in heaven, enjoying and appreciating our family photos, with my son.  
 

Miscellaneous Monday

It's a little bit of this, and a little bit of that this Monday.  (Hence, the title.)

1) First up, a laugh.

I chuckled when I saw this cartoon in Parade magazine two Sundays ago.  Then, I cut it out (so I could place it in my Project Life book) and snapped a picture of it (so I could post it to Instagram).

2) Next up, a sale.
If you love to cover your walls with photographs like I do, then you don't want to miss Aaron Brothers's Penny Sale going on this month.  (It only comes around twice a year--in January and July.)  I've been waiting for this sale, so I could purchase five frames for Noah's nursery.  Since it's buy one, get one for a penny, I purchased six frames (two 16x20s and four 8x10s) for just $64.  Not too shabby, eh?

3) How about another sale? 
If you need to print some pictures--say, for your walls or scrapbook layouts or Project Life book--take advantage of Costco's 4x6 digital print deal.  Normally, 13 cents each, from now through August 5, they are available for just 9 cents. Order away...

4) And a coupon...you know how I like a good deal!  Arby's is celebrating their 1964 founding TODAY with a special deal: a Roast Beef Classic sandwich for just 64 cents.  Click here to get your coupon.

5) It's time for a blog share.  A few weeks ago, I came across the Simple Mom blog/website and instantly fell in love.  Since then, I've read lots of the posts on her site (some written by her and others crafted by guest bloggers).  One of my favorite posts is: I wrote a five year plan (and you can too!).  While I don't know if I'll do it right away, the thought of creating a five year plan interests me.  Have you ever written a five year plan?

6) Last, but not least, a quote I adore from The Iron Lady: "Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your actions for they become...habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny!"

Thanks for letting me share!

J