December 2016 Project Life

I did a very, very simple page for December. In 2016, I completed a December Daily and didn't see any reason to redo that in Project Life album. I basically hit the highlights and am calling it DONE!

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New Car layout

One of the last layouts I made for 2016 was about my new car. I bought a BMW X3 in September and I love it. It's the car I really wanted (but didn't want to pay for) when I graduated pharmacy school. Woohoo!

I used the Paper Issues July "Scrap Soup" challenge for this layout... I had to include a 6" square, alphabet letters, 6 embellishments, patterned paper background, and something I had fussy cut. I almost bailed on this because I have fussy cutting... but then I found this key ring in the background of a page from Pink Paislee Oh My Heart. It was perfect!

I used just 6 stickers for embellishing and this page came together quickly. I used a Simple Scrapper sketch again. So easy!

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Project Life September and Universal Orlando 2016

September ended up being several pages since we also took a big trip that month.

Left side: a little snack at Krispy Kreme, a Poses & Pottery event, and more healthy stuff.

Front and back of insert: our new bathtub, books, and relaxing.

Right side: Rhythm & Roots, surgeries, and a weekend trip to Gatlinburg.

We went to Universal Orlando for Joe's birthday and had a blast.

front and back of insert:

Right page:

I LOVE these Harry Potter stamps from Kelly Purkey!!

They are perfection!

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U R Bananas

Do you and your signifiant other have any cute inside jokes? Joe and I are silly and hide those Chiquita banana stickers EVERYWHERE - and you never know where you might find one. I loved documenting this little piece of "right now".

I used a banana sticker (of course) and a few little Amy Tangerine stickers for embellishment.

I love how this page turned out!

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Cubs Win!

As part of documenting 2016, I had to make a layout about the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series. I mean, it had been 108 (!) years since we had won!

I used a sketch from Tracie Claiborne's first Ready Sketch Go! class as a starting point for this layout.

Most (maybe all) all of the 3x3 papers I used are from Simple Stories Homespun collection. The colors were perfect. I used some clear black stickers on this 3x3 spot.

What is your favorite sports team? Have you documented their wins?

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Great Smoky Mountains

I used sketch #340 from Simple Scrapper and some supplies from my stash to make this layout. This background paper is from Simple Stories "Life Documented" collection. I used a sketch from Simple Scrapper and participated in the Paper Issues stash buster challenge for January.

Last July, we drove up to Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains. It was cold and windy so it was a quick trip! We drove back down towards Gatlinburg and stopped at a pretty little bridge and creek. We walked around and took some pictures. It was beautiful!

I stamped the date with a roller stamp.

I love these little hearts.

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Beach Vibes

I wish I was at the beach right now... it's currently cold and rainy here at home! Part of my crafty goals for 2017 is to complete 1 or 2 challenges from the Paper Issues blog. I'm part of their Facebook group and they're always posting lots of inspiration!

I used this challenge to create a page for our beach trip to Isle of Palms last June. I used Project Life pages to document the rest of the trip and I'll show them to you on Monday.

Here's the original sketch:

I've been hoarding this little candy embellishment for a while!

This 3x4 card is from a cut apart 12x12 page. Love it!

And you know I love a pretty gold pack of Thickers ;)

Do you participate in scrapbook challenges? If so, where?

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November and December Reads

I read several good books in November and December!

The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman was really good! I love reading multigenerational novels. This one has a twist, though!

I read through When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi very quickly while we were on a weekend trip away. This memoir is about a neurosurgeon that is diagnosed with stage IV cancer. He has just a short time to live and has to figure out what really matters in those final weeks. Quick read.

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly was AMAZING. I've read a few historical fiction books about World War 2 in the past year or so and I can't get enough. This book focuses on 3 girls - a volunteer/socialite in New York, a Polish teenager, and a German doctor that gets hired at a Nazi concentration camp. Of course their lives intertwine (and you know that's my favorite!).

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is a book that covers seven generations of a family. There's a lot of unfamiliar names to keep up with but I was able to pretty well. This book has won a TON of awards.

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain is about a family that lives a lie until one of the kids starts digging for answers. I did figure out part of it, but some of it was a surprise. Good read.

I got News of the World by Paulette Jiles for just $2.99 (gotta love those daily Kindle deals!) and couldn't put it down!!

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Fall Book Report

In September and October, I continued reading and working toward my goal of 30 books this year.

I finally got to read Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. It's been on my list for quite a while and it did not disappoint! It's about 2 young people that marry and the book follows their life. You get to hear both sides of the story and I couldn't put it down.

I first heard about The Girls by Emma Cline from a reading list someone posted on the inter webs. It's about a young girl that gets swept away into a cult like group. She spends most of her time with the group, but goes back and forth between them and her mother. Overall, I liked the book but it was somewhat unsettling.

I listened to When I'm Gone by Emily Bleeker because it was another free Amazon book. It's about a family with kids and the mom passes away. The husband gets letters from her after her death and can't figure out who they're from. It was pretty good, but I should have read it instead of listening on Audible. Again, I realized I prefer nonfiction audio books vs fiction.

I really liked I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh. A mom and her little boy are walking home when he runs out in front of a car and is killed. It's a hit and a run so the book is all about tracking down the guilty party. I was shocked a couple of times!

Another book that's been on my list for a long time is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It's set during World War II and follows the stories of a blind French girl and a German boy. Her father works at a museum and is entrusted with carrying a very valuable item (or one of its 3 copies) when they have to leave France. So good!!

Another nonfiction book I listened to on Audible was A Return to Love Workshop: The Basics of A Course in Miracles by Marianne Williamson. Another amazing read from her! It's about letting go and letting miracle happen. Loved it!

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Summer Book Report

Since I'm a little behind on posting, I thought I'd combine the July and August books into one post. I tried Audible for the first time this summer and it got me back on track to reading my goal of 30 books this year!

First up was Water from My Heart by Charles Martin. It's the first time I've read anything by him, and I'm interested in reading more. This book is a love story, but isn't sappy. So good!

I heard about The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber on a podcast and it sounded cool. It's a science fiction/fantasty sort of book where a husband leaves Earth and travels to another planet. He's a preacher and thinks he is going to spread Christianity to a different species. I wasn't a huge fan of the main character, but couldn't quit the book. It was strange but good.

I listened to The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money, and Miracles by Marianne Williamson on Audible. A friend recommended it and it was fantastic!! It talks about a scarcity mindset vs an abundance mindset.

I borrowed As Close to Us as Breathing by Elizabeth Poliner on Overdrive. I love free library books!! This story is about some Jewish sisters and their families. They vacation together but are all affected by a tragedy later. I learned a valuable lesson when reading this book... pay attention to when your library loan is over OR put your Kindle in airplane mode! My loan expired when I was 80% through the book and I had to reborn it (2 months later!!) to finish the last 20%.

I wanted to love Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling. I mean, it's Harry Potter and I love Harry Potter. However, I just couldn't get into this book.

I listened to Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson from Overdrive (free books for the win!). IT WAS AWESOME!! Each chapter is told from the point of view of this little girl and each chapter is just a scene or a short story. Amazing.

I think Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim was a free Kindle book or something. It's about a slave and the white child to whom she is a wet nurse. It might have been better if I was actually reading it, but I listened to it on Audible while doing a massive craft room purge and reorganization. I realized that I don't particularly care for listening to fiction on Audible. The reader used different voices for each character and I found her voices annoying.

I went back to nonfiction and listened to Daring Greatly by Brene Brown on Audible. It's all about being vulnerable and more courageous.





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Good Times

I was listening to the last Paperclipping Roundtable podcast the other day about titles... Amy Tan said she had a lot of layouts called "Good Times" because she doesn't spend a lot of time coming up with clever titles. When it came time to make this page, I couldn't help but think that "Good Times" was perfect for this layout!

I recently met up with my freshman year roomie from Maryville College. Although we were only roomies for that one year, we have remained close friends. I though this telephone paper was perfect (and aren't the colors fun?) because we love to chat but don't get a lot of time to do that in the last few years. Marriage and kids and life keep us busy!

I used some stickers from the Creative Agenda line because the colors coordinated pretty well with the telephone paper.

This sunny side flair was perfect because we had brunch at Sunny Point Cafe in Asheville, NC. I got the flair from Feed Your Craft Etsy shop. It isn't available anymore, but there's a ton of other cute sets!!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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May and June Book Report

I added a few books to my list in May and June.

First up was The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. It's about a dysfunctional family and a trust fund. Their plans to use that money don't go exactly as planned.

Next I read The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee. It follows 3 women living abroad. Their stories are all different but end up intertwining.

I first heard about The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz when i was in yoga teacher training, but didn't read it until recently. It teaches you how and why the four agreements (Be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, Don't make assumptions, and Always do your best) will make your life fuller and richer. Pretty good stuff here! It takes practice and intention to make this happen! 

I read The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani in June. This is the author who wrote Big Stone Gap (which is also on my list!). It's a historical fiction novel based on the author's grandparents immigration story. So good!

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Isle of Palms getaway

 Joe and I had so much fun last year at Myrtle Beach and we wanted to get in a little beach time this year as well. I ended up getting a 4 day weekend so we headed to Folly Beach, South Carolina.

We pulled up to the hotel around 10:15 that night. Long story short - the hotel wasn't AT ALL how it was pictured online!! A nearby beach, Isle of Palms, was recommended to us so we found a Hampton Inn near there for the night. The next day we got up and went to Isle of Palms, found a realty place, and rented an adorable beachfront condo for the weekend.

Before check in time at the condo, we went to Charleston. When the heat index is 108, you find indoor activities!! Lunch was at a great Caribbean restaurant called Fuel (no AC here, but plenty of fans), then we went to the South Carolina Aquarium. When we entered the parking garage, the clearance sign was 7'6" but as we went up, it changed to 7'!! Joe's truck was a tight fit.

The condo had these fun bunk beds in the hall! We couldn't resist taking a pic.

 We ate at fun little restaurants like The Sea Biscuit Cafe, Charleston's Cafe, Coconut Joe's Beach Grill, Banana Cabana, Luke 'n Ollie's Pizzeria, and the Long Island Cafe.

 Joe fished on the private pier and I took pics :)

Me and the sun don't get along so Joe made us an awesome shelter with our Sport-brella and beach chairs. 

We got up to watch the sun rise 2 mornings. So beautiful!

 This was a great weekend getaway and we can't wait to go back!

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April Book Report

I read a couple of books in April and one was from my local library! I recently renewed my library card and brought my up Goodreads app to see what I had listed under "Want to Read". I found a couple of books and grabbed them. I only got through one before we left for Disney, so I returned the second - but I'll get it again!

First up was We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. It's about a Mexican family that lives in California. The grandparents return to Mexico and the mom has to step up and be a real mom for the first time in her life. The story follows the kids and is a coming-of-age story. It was great!

I also started reading The Flip Flop CEO by Janine Finney and others. I recently started using (and quickly selling!) Rodman and Fields skincare. This book is about a mother and daughter's journey in direct sales and is pretty entertaining!

I've already started a couple more books in May and am loving them!

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Essential Oils for Travel

Since I'm at Disney, it seems like a great time to show you which essential oils I take with me when we're traveling. When will the TSA recognize these as medications and not make them count towards my liquids limit??

The bare minimum includes:

• Deep Relief - you can roll it on your neck if it gets sore from sleeping on a new pillow or on a plane, your shoulders for tension, or your legs after a long day of sightseeing.

• Sleep Combo - I have a hard time sleeping in unfamiliar places (especially if we can't get a fan to stay on all night and generate a little white noise!) Lavender and Cedarwood are my go to for sleep. I apply this to my wrists and behind my ears and I'm having sweet dreams in no time.

• Breathe Again - this mix is great for when you're feeling a little congested or the air is dry and you need some relief. I put it behind my ears.

• Allergy Trio - this mix of Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint helps alleviate runny nose, watery eyes, and that annoying little cough you get when allergies are bugging you. I apply it behind my ears and on my wrists.

• Thieves Hand Purifier - my personal choice for hand sanitizer! 

I upped my game here recently and bought this awesome customizable essential bag on Etsy. It holds 8 bottles for me and even has room in the bottom for small things like chapstick or that Thieves hand sanitizer. The elastic bands hold everything in place so they don't roll around in the bottom of my purse.

Do you take essential oils with you when you're traveling? Which ones can you not leave home without?

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