Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Peek.

Now that the holiday craziness is coming to a settling halt, I can finally get to the regular pace of life- whatever that is. Just when I think I have it all figured out, I realize I don't. Anyways!! A few weeks ago- yes, I said weeks- I finally got some pictures printed. Granted I don't have a lot of anything recently; the joys of having not much of a life. So I'm crawling back into my vault of pictures.

As I was scrolling in my phone for pictures, I came across pictures of when we first got Blaize. Gosh, he was the tiniest but cutest little kitten ever. So you'll be bombarded with cute kitty overload in a few layouts to come- I just couldn't pass them up. I feel bad for poor Ember and Pumpkin- the attention is lacking from their mother (at least in the scrapbooking world).

This has to be my all time favorite picture of Blaize. I'm not even sure in the slightest anymore of what he was doing, assuming he was just being a crazy kitten, but I know I was laying in bed when I seen a little kitten head peeking in to the room. What a little creeper.


As I was picking up my room, I found one of Amy Tangerine's daybook that I haven't used. I love it but honestly, I just wasn't sure how I was going to use it. So I tore out the pages and used up what embellishments I had left from this collection. Added some thread and gesso. Ba-da bing ba-da boom, this page was born. 

I love and miss my baby boy so much. <3 nbsp="" p="">

xo. Renee



Monday, December 14, 2015

The Reveal.

I know this will be a short and sweet post but I have had a secret for a few weeks I can't wait to let out!

I have been chosen to be on the Scrap Our Stash Design Team!!!


Scrap Our Stash is a site/group that inspires you to use your stash and supplies. They do 2 challenges a month - one is a stash challenge (1st of the month) and one is a sketch challenge with a stash prompt (15th of the month).   The Design Team examples are shown everyday to inspire you to put together a great page!  To learn more you'll have to check out their site at http://scrapourstash.blogspot.com/ ! 

My pages will be shown on the 10th and 24th of each month - also I'll make a coresponding post over here on this blog as well!! :) 

Thank you so much to Scrap Our Stash for letting be on your team!!!  Hope you enjoy watching my journey with them!! 

xo. Renee

Friday, December 11, 2015

2014 December Memories.

I have been showing you throwbacks of the beginning of 2015's PL; I thought before I show you what I have done for December- I would show you last years December "Not-so" Daily.  I actually haven't completed it, I kind of put it together early before December approached- so I have tons of blank spots that I thought I'd be able to fill.  I haven't added any journaling and there are some pictures I do know I could add. Just may have to arrange the book differently so it makes more logical sense.  ( Note- it's great to try to get something semi- done before so you can throw it together quickly but the negative side is- you have no idea what the month will throw you. Therefore, its a mess. Ha. ) 


The cover and title page. I used a SNAP burlap 6x8 binder and glued my own embellishments on to the cover.  


I thought it would be cool to have a wish list. (We didn't fill it out-lamesauce- but I love the page.) No book is complete without at least one selfie.



Just capturing the normal winter activities- cookies, red cups at Starbucks, sledding and crazy Target shenanigans. 



We decorated our house for the holidays- one thing I loved about it was the banister for the stockings. So cute, even had little stockings for the bearded dragons. John did an awesome garland in our dining room of his collection of Star War annual ornaments. Santa made a list that he needed to check twice... and I creeped on him at the mall. 



Mailed off our cards, got to meet a live reindeer, spotted Santa on the street corner ( you interpret that how you wish ), and we opened our presents from people far away.


Best part of all, was celebrating with family. I was lucky to have dated a man who also had a wonderful family and time together with all family left me with great memories.  Last years holiday season was one for the books, and thankfully- it was the one year I made a mini December album. <3 p="">

Hopefully you enjoyed and I inspired your layouts for this year!

Happy Holiday Season to you! 

xo. Renee


Tuesday, December 8, 2015

2015 May + June.

Today I'm bringing you May and June of my 2015 Project Life. Only one more and we should be all caught up with my crazy PL. Also I have scheduled a post of my 2014 December Memories, hopefully it'll provide you some inspiration and enjoy looking at some holiday greatness during the month of December :).


Oh the month of May, how I enjoyed you so. My sister- I've said how great she is a few times before I 'm sure- but I can't say it enough. She decided to run in the Tinkerbell 1/2 Marathon at Disneyland, and the best part about it- she decided to invite me! I haven't been to either Disney Parks, and quality time with my big sister- how could I say no?! I had the greatest time ever, I'll have to post pages from that on a whole 'nother post. But I started the month out with memorabilia and pictures from the trip!


Again, no month is complete with out the adventures of Blaize. There are no measures this cat won't take to catch a bug. Jumping from the banister to the door- (yes, Blaize, this would so work...*rolls eyes*) but for some odd reason, he did manage to stay hanging from the moldering around the door.  Before trying to save him, I had to take a picture ( the scrapbooker in me ).  Also, we planted a small garden , visited my mom after her knee replacement surgery (she'll love that I posted this ), and we took a trip to a beach in which I got fried. 


The month of June was just clearly a bunch of randomness. Great time with friends, whom now I miss dearly, I'm so glad I had such great co-workers!  I also got raced by a rabbit at the school's track. Of course, he won... hence the epic fail.


JT and I enjoyed a great date to the i-Cubs game and Zombie Burger in Des Moines. I can't say enough about the great food - or the Fruitty Pebble milkshake. I crave them all the time now! So delicious! Also- no month is complete without a Blaize moment- seriously, the cat has no fear.  Especially when it has to do with bugs or John. 

Hope you enjoyed the first part of this summer, I'll be coming back with the next two months soon!! :)

xo. Renee

Saturday, December 5, 2015

2015 March + April

On continuation to the roll back post .. now I will bring you my PL pages for March and April.


For March, I used Amy Tangerine's Stitched line which I love love love. Which reminds me that I have some of it left, MUST FIND A WAY TO USE IT! Anyways, but this month we were still adjusting to a new kitten, John did a telethon for the company we work for, and we enjoyed a date night of bowling.. I'm pretty sure I lost.


 I got to go with one of my friends to help pick out her wedding dress, of course- she said yes to the dress. Just a few pictures of the two peas in a pod, John and Blaize. We also had a great time with friends and family.


 April was fun because no snow and we could have awesome adventures in the sunshine. My car also decided to be a pain most of the month, to the point the towing company knew me by name... not even kidding.


Spent a lot of days working both jobs and getting taken care of by a sweet kitty while we were sick with the flu :(  Of course, no month is complete without a Blaize outside picture. 

Hope you are enjoying my flash backs :)

I will return with May + June ... soon.

xo. Renee





Friday, December 4, 2015

2015 January + February.

The joys of living in a small town is that when I run out of pictures, I have to wait to get on to printing them again until I get to a town that prints photos. Usually I have a nice little stash, but I went on a bit of a scrappy spree lately and now I'm dwindling low on pictures. Which also means I'm low on cute projects to show you!  So I figured no better time than the present to show you past months 2015 project life pages.

If you reference to my post back in September, ( yes that long ago ) on my other project life month-   I've been using a 6x8 book and categorizing by moments in the month.


My title page was made with a 2x2 square 6x8 page that a friend of mine gave me. I think I saw an idea similar on pinterest and I had to use it with different touches of gold/pastel to start the year out fresh.


 Each month I used up a stash of a collection I had left over- a great way to use up my stuff plus capture memories. For January- I used Open Book by Maggie Holmes.



Just capturing the moments of getting a second job, our lazy New Years Eve, the joys of being a kitten momma- also spending time with great friends enjoying a great game of football. 


February I used Crate Paper's Kiss Kiss, which was perfect for all the obvious reasons. Full of Valentine fun and lovey dovey embellishments.  ( Also, with it being so holiday specific, it was a great way to use what was left after layouts were made ;) )


We got a new kitten Ember in February, as well as celebrated our year anniversary together. Had crazy adventures in the snow and saw our sweet friends' twins win gymnastic trophies. 

On a random side note : I thought for a while that maybe looking back at all of this would be hard for me to do.  Yes, I would be lying if I said I wasn't just a little sad, but yet, I smiled. This is one example of why I love to scrapbook- Our relationship has been documented before my eyes and I can always look back at the memories... and remember. 

I'll be back to post March and April :) 

xo. Renee

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

I'm thankful for so much this year. 

Thankful for the understanding people in my life, for the strength I've found within myself. 

Thankful for the memories, for the love. 

Thankful for friends, for my family. 

Thankful for you. 


Xo. Renee 

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Every summer has a story.



I am nearing the end of my Crate Paper Poolside collection, which makes me sad in a million ways. It's such a beautiful collection with the bright colors and I love all of the embellishments that remind me of everything summer.   

It just happened that I just had one more summer picture left. It was perfect for what was left in the collection.  It was from a bike ride / run that we went on together. There's a great trail just near where we lived that was perfect for long bike rides for him - it connected to various small towns in the area so he could bike on the same trail for miles. But it also had great points for a nice run for me- and at my snail pace- we could both be done at the same time. So it was a great way to spend time together but do our own seperate fitness.  


I took 3 - 2 inch wide strips of white paper  and punched holes in it. Than used various left over pieces I had from the collection ( also not from ) and fit them in behind.  Layered various embellishments around the picture. And included a cluster of embellishments on the bottom corner. 



I just couldn't get enough of this collection and I'm so glad I got to use so much of it. I had an amazing summer, took tons of pictures and created a million memories. It'll be marked as one of the best but hardest of my life. That's why when I saw the sticker- "Every summer has a story" - I had to include it because this one... definitely had a story. 

xo. Renee

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Lovely Blaize Adventure

Ive mentioned before that my favorite group on facebook Paper Issues (Friends & Family) has multiple challenges throughout the month. Well for November- I decided to participate in the mood board challenge .  It had various things on it; but I was drawn to the stars, multiple shades of blue and sparkly-ness of the disco ball. 


In the midst of everything that happened earlier this fall, I had to leave behind two loves of my life. My sweet kittens Blaize and Ember. But I've never seen such a bond as the one that is shared between John and Blaize. They are two peas in a pod. I would never separate them but I miss them everyday. This way I can still remember them by capturing the moments I did have with them.  I have been holding on to this beautiful photo of my kitten Blaize for a few months hoping to find the perfect layout for it.  I felt the gold and turquoise was perfect for my little boy.



With this layout, I included close ups of the small details of the sparkles in the enamel dots, sequins and splattered paint. I wanted it to kind of look like pretty "pixie dust" of sorts. I also love using the string of lights sticker, I was holding on to that also- but it just seemed perfect for this page.  I used mostly Crate Paper lines with the page but there is a mix -I'm hoping to use up my stash. 


I miss my sweet boy but I know that he's in the best hands.  His momma will love him always.  I hope you enjoyed this page, it's definitely a favorite of mine now also.