Cowlick Title Tutorial

I've received several questions on how I created this title for a layout I made for the Studio Calico booth.

It was so easy and simple, you'll be kicking yourself once you see how I made it.

First, I cut each letter with my Slice die-cut machine.

On the white cardstock, I discarded the "C" you would normally keep and used the negative image.

I cut around that, leaving about 1/8".

Then, I used my favorite glue pen to adhere the cardstock to the patterned paper (in my actual layout it was the reverse: patterned paper onto cardstock, but you get the idea).

And, I cut around that, leaving no excess.


Once I had all my letters, I spaced them appropriately on my layout and adhered them together, then used foam dots to give some dimension.

See, like I said, simple and easy and you can do it with any shape!

sticky feet

As long as I can remember, I've commented on how sweaty Claire's feet are.

At first, I thought it was just a newborn thing, but now I'm getting a tad concerned we may have to buy stock in Gold Bond Powder.

Yes, these feet (including that oddly-shaped big toe...I don't know how on earth can a toe have a bad "angle", but your's does), are long and sticky. Claire's toes are more like fingers and add some stickiness to them and she can grab anything.
They've picked up rags and they attract dust and especially my hair, even when it's connected to my head! ouch.

But, I love these feet. I kiss them and smooch them and give them zerbers.



And Claire loves them too. She's obsessed actually and I think it's the cutest thing ever.

Blog Hop winner + questions answered

Thanks for all the wonderful comments on the SC blog hop! I loved reading about your grandmas. The winner of the wood veneer hearts is:

sarah said...

sadly i lost them in my early 20s...but i called both lovely women, grandma.

thanks for the chance + the fun 'hop'!

Now for your questions:

Was your house featured in BHG?
There's been several comments about my house being in Better Homes & Gardens and I wanted to clarify. My house hasn't been and isn't on any agenda that I'm aware of to appear in BHG. I love BHG and Country Living and lots of other house magazines and that's where I've gotten lots of my decorating ideas, but they haven't asked to feature our house. That would be awesome, though! If you want to see all of my house posts, here they are.

Why did I choose Fuzzi Bunz diapers as opposed to other cloth diapers?
Honestly, I didn't do any extensive research on cloth diapers. Greg and I are both the type of people to ask for recommendations and borrow from others' expertise. When we go to restaurants, Greg ALWAYS asks the server, "What's your favorite thing on the menu?" then orders that dish. The same was true for me with Fuzzi Bunz, except I asked my IVF nurse which brand she used. She had originally purchased bumgenius for her son, but the velcro broke down within the first year even when she washed it according to the specifications. Also, she informed me she liked the concept of the snaps better because as kids gain dexterity, it's easier for them to pull off the velcro and run wild and naked than it is with the snaps. I concur, and since this is Greg's child we're talking about, I wanted to offset my risk.

I did neglect to mention that we chose the one-size diaper so it is adjustable. They're a couple dollars more than the others, but I think it's worth it considering she started wearing them at 2 months and will continue wearing them until she potty trains.

Is it difficult to stick with cloth diapers?
Absolutely not! But, you're asking someone who doesn't mind laundry. I'm the type of person that once I set my mind on something (and this was a $450 investment, so money was riding on this deal, too), I'm going to do it. I like her diapers and they fit our lifestyle well, but like I said, they're not for everyone. I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to spend money on them unless they are 100% sure of the commitment.

And last, I want to leave you with this. I was thinking about that moment while riding home from church this week and started laughing out loud. It's been awhile since Greg's done anything like that, so I had to dig in my brain archives to get a laugh this week.

5 months

At 5 months, you still have those gorgeous blue eyes. The doctor says they can change up until 9 months, but I'm betting they'll stay.

You are so much more expressive and talkative. You were gabbing about something in the photo above. I love hearing your sweet voice, even when it's high and shrill and incessant.
Your push-up is so high. Even Angela, our photographer, commented on it. She was happy you made it easy to take photos. I can't wait to see the photos she took!

Did I mention you are such a happy baby at this point? It's like you've figured life out now. You understand your schedule and like to stick to it. You've started on some solid foods. After having rice mess up your digestive system (read: lots of green poo round the clock), we're now stable on oatmeal and you love squash, although your first solid was avocado.

The week you've changed more than any other 7 day period. After learning to roll from tummy to back, it took you a month to go the other direction. But, once you learned that this week, you connected the dots and now have a form of transportation. You roll and scoot and can get to almost anything you want.
You're so much more aware of your surroundings. You love petting your dogs and they love playing with you, too. Addy nestled up beside you and pretended you were taking her bone and you thought it was the funniest thing ever. Already you're understanding games more than Jett! But, both of you understand kisses as witnessed above.

This is such a fun age and I'm enjoying it immensely. Just when I think it can't get any better, the next stage is just as fun if not more so as the previous.

fuzzi bunz

One decision we made even before I got pregnant was that we would use cloth diapers. At the time, these were the factors that played into our decision:

• Over time, they are less expensive than disposables. I'm not going to lie, this is the MAIN reason we chose cloth.
• Supposedly children with cloth diapers potty train earlier than those with disposables because they feel the wetness.
• I could get a plain white diaper without Elmo on it. I kid you not, this did actually help me make the decision. What 3-month-old is even aware of a muppet on their diaper? I continue my campaign for plain, solid infant wear.
  

After choosing cloth and using them, here's the reasons I would continue:

• Convenience: I never worry about having to run to the store for diapers or order them online. I keep her size of disposables on hand in case we need them, but usually we end up the last week that they will possibly fit her, running through them.
• Comfort: After feeling how soft the fabric is on her fuzzi bunz, I know they have to feel better on her skin than disposable.
• The don't leak. When she has worn disposables, lots of times, she's blown out the top of them. That's never happened with the cloth diapers. Once she blew through a leg, however.

I'm not hard-core about cloth. Everyone should make the decision that's right for their family, but I'm happy this option was available to us.

Doesn't this look like a satisfied baby?

Lawn Party sneaks!

Lots going on here, scrapwise. I've been cutting & pasting up a storm here this weekend.

I can honestly say it's been longer than I can remember that I've scrapped 5 layouts in 2 days. As in, I haven't set aside any time in particular, but just grabbing a few minutes here and there, so I'm proud I've been able to do that.

What I'm not so proud of is that my scraproom is in SHAMBLES.
I can't show you the photos because my pre-devastation room is going to be in a special edition of Creating Keepsakes, but I can describe it.

Picture 8-foot open shelving on the back wall. 3 rows of that with baskets, vintage lockers, suitcases, and glass jars all stacked up above a unit that held my sewing machine, typewriter and mists.

Now picture the top shelf pulling out from the wall and landing on the 2nd shelf, then that one pulling out and landing on the 3rd, which pulled out as well and landed on my sewing machine, typewriter and mists.

yeah.

not pretty.

That event took place in about a half-second and made such a loud noise. Claire was down for the night and shockingly did not wake up so I had two full hours to clean up glass and the rest of the mess.

I know you're all jealous you didn't spend your Saturday night like I did.

So, that explains why one of my sneaks doesn't have a single stitch on it since my whole room is dismantled right now.

The following 2 sneaks were made using the main kit (LAWN PARTY), PINK LEMONADE, & PAPER LANTERNS.



This layout was one I scraplifted from Amy Tan, and it's my favorite layout this month. Actually, it's my favorite layout in a long time. She is so clever and I can envision using this idea for lots of other layouts and themes. I was proud of myself for making it entirely with the main kit + a couple shop items (white gel pen & white zing)


You'll definitely want to get the main kit this month because there's some exclusive alphas by Basic Grey in the best color ever. The design team has already been emailing me asking for extras...so you better hurry!

The add-ons will go on sale to subscribers at 12:00noon EST 4/27, and all kits to everyone else at 12:00midnight EST. Don't forget, if you haven't subscribed yet, you can do so now, just email waitinglist@studiocalico.com for more information.

Studio Calico Blog Hop

Welcome to the Studio Calico blog hop.

We're celebrating State Fair and Countryside being added to the online shop. Most of you have had the opportunity now to purchase it from your local scrapbook store or favorite online retailer, and now we're happy to provide some additional inspiration.

A fun layout I made using an old photo from my trip to Texas before Claire was born. This was the trip my feet swelled so big and never went down....well, they went down about a week after her birth, but it seemed like forEVER.


And, just a quick tutorial for creating those open scalloped circles.

Choose 2 circle punches, one slightly larger than the other.

Punch the smaller first.

Then, turn the larger upside down and center over the window.

To glue, I used the Martha Stewart glue pen and one of the punched circles as a guide.

Circle punches are some of my favorite tools, but one of my favorite items on this layout is the Heart Veneer, which I will give to one of my blog readers. To win, simply leave a comment here letting me know what you call your grandma. Winner will be posted on April 18.



Your next stop....the amazing Celine Navarro.

And if you lose your way, you can always use the designer links to the left on my blog or on the SC blog (to the right).

Claire's newborn photos

Before I became pregnant with Claire, I knew I wanted to find a spectacular photographer to document her growth during her first year. Since my life is spent on the internet and I believe anything worth having should be bought online and shipped to my door, I turned to my trusty friend, Google.

I also looked at some of my favorite photographers' blogs. Knowing I couldn't afford travel for them to come, I looked at photographers they had linked.

The name, Angela Crutcher kept popping up and I would visit her site each time. The more I saw it, the more I fell in love. She has a way of posing newborns that make them look so precious. She has a way of catching the sparkle in their eyes and the emotion of their parents. Her photos are so crisp, clear, and timeless.

Because of that, she was an obvious choice. If you're in the Nashville area and think you can't afford her, think again. Like her on facebook and sign up for her newsletter. She'll send a deal you can't refuse, then you'll be hooked. After that, I promise you'll pawn anything to have her come take photos of your kids because they are precious moments she'll document that only come once.

You can see more from Claire's newborn session here.

Thanks Angela for a fantastic session and here's to another on Tuesday!

Our House

Several of my readers have asked me to link my house posts all in one place. I thought that was a great idea, so here goes.

• Master Bedroom & Bath
• Living Room
• Kitchen
• Laundry Room
• TV Room
• Twin Bedroom
• Landing
• Kid's Bath
• Guest Bedroom & Bath
• Foyer & Dining Room
• Mudroom & Bathroom
• Claire's Room
  
• Empty house before we moved in
  

thank you's & birth announcements

After choosing Claire's thank you notes and birth announcements, I think my love affair with gray is official.

I'm sure lots of boy-mommas out there are cringing at me choosing gray for a girl when I could have chosen pink, but with a middle name like "thomas" it'll be hard for Claire to be a pink gal. So, I started her off right:




by Vermillion Star Press

by Minted

master bedroom & bath

I realized I haven't posted photos of the master bedroom and bath at our remodeled farmhouse. We didn't make and structural change to the bedroom, but the bathroom was a different story.


This is the area to the right you see when you enter the bathroom. It used to be the closet.
My sink above.
Greg's sink below.




And to the front. There's a door to the right that goes into the new master closet.
You see the door in the mirror, and that's the bedroom door.








Now to the bedroom.

I kept this fixture from our last house because they were going to replace it with a ceiling fan.






I still owe you a few things on my blog that I have planned in the upcoming weeks:

• A post with links to all the house posts
• Tutorial on using paperback books as decoration
• Tutorial on jumping photos (this one will be fun!)
• Tutorial on my Cowlick title
• Claire's birth announcements & thank-you notes
• Claire's newborn photos
• Claire's 5-month photos
  
• A couple cute Claire videos

I'll be working on these, but if I've left anything off, let me know.

we had to do it

What's a visit with Kelly like without a jumping photo?

Look at our hops :)

It's all about the camera angle.