June 29, 2009

Gift Card Holders for my Midwives



today i said goodbye to my midwives... it was a bittersweet moment, especially since a third pregnancy is unlikely for me... it's just hard to say goodbye to people you've spent the last 10 months getting to know as they see you through a really huge moment in your life...

due to complications, i ended up having kid 2 in the hospital (i had planned another home birth)... one of my poor midwives was pulled from bed at 5 AM to assess me and i could tell that running out to get a coffee or something to eat was the last thing on their minds... i thought i'd give them gift cards to the coffee shops and cafeteria in the local hospital, so they wouldn't be stuck for funds when at another unexpected hospital delivery...

Recipe:
Inspiration: this gift card holder by Amy
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, & Urban Oasis DSP
Ink: Whisper White craft ink
Stamp Set: Edgy Eloquence, Short & Sweet © Stampin' Up
Embellishments: Baja Breeze striped grosgrain ribbon
Tools: wide oval & slit punches, Mini Glue Dots, tape runner, paper trimmer

June 23, 2009

for today...

as seen on Ali and Cathy's blogs (original idea from The Simple Woman's Day Book)...

Outside my window... i see the street slowly waking up...

I am thinking... how strange it is that i feel better having slept for only 3 hours...

I am thankful for... my kids, my husband, my life... but mostly the silence that still fills my house this early in the morning...

From the kitchen... i foresee hot oatmeal with lots of brown sugar in my future...

I am wearing... pjs and a pair of old slippers...

I am creating... Thank You cards for the gifts kid 2 received...

I am going... tile shopping today... i am insanely in love with a high gloss, apple green wall tile at the moment...

I am reading... "Breaking the Good Mom Myth" by Alyson Schafer...

I am hoping... the weather is nicer today than the forecast is predicting...

I am hearing... the cats bat at the basement door, meowing for their morning breakfast...

Around the house... i see baskets of laundry to be folded...

One of my favorite things... is cuddling my newborn baby as he breastfeeds...

A few plans for the rest of the week... my Mum coming to visit, a few playdates, hanging out on Friday with my husband and kids...

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

June 21, 2009

my sling collection...

this is not a typical post for me, but my personal blog (where i'd usually post this) is invite only and i wanted to link it to an older post over at Adventures in Babywearing... this is the first chance i've had to take pictures of my sling/carrier collection... having recently attended a sling workshop to learn how to use my slings better, my interest in babywearing has been rekindled...

from top to bottom: Peapod Cuddly Wrap, Gorgeousbaby pouch sling, Beco Butterfly II carrier (Avery pattern), Rockin' Baby ring sling (All You Need Is Love pattern), and a 4th generation Beco carrier (Jolly Rogers pattern)...

first up is my 4th gen Beco, which i bought when i had J... i love this carrier and refuse to sell it... one, because i can do a hip carry with this Beco (unlike the Butterfly version) and two, because of the awesome pattern... i haven't worn my Butterfly II yet... i bought it because of the removable infant insert and because i suck at doing back carries with the 4th gen...

i didn't get my Cuddly Wrap until J was close to 3 months old and, by that time, he was almost to heavy to use it comfortably... i've worn it with Em a few times and i love how snug he is in it... i also learned a better way to wrap it at the sling workshop, so i'm more inclined to wear it...

my Gorgeousbaby pouch sling, i used only for quick trips into stores once J was old enough to do a hip carry... in truth, i don't like this sling because i'm between sizes, so this one (a large) hangs just a little too low... i haven't used this sling in about a year... i probably need to sell it... love the pattern, though...

finally, there's my Rockin' Baby ring sling... besides being absolutely beautiful, i bought this to use with Em before i was even pregnant with him... the ring sling was the only sling i didn't try to use when i had J and i wish i had... the reason i bought one was because i hoped that i would like it more than a pouch sling, since i could customize it to my body... i've used this sling the most since Em was born and now that i know how to properly get him in it, he's happy to sleep in there for hours...

could i pick just one? for the newborn stage, it would definitely be the ring sling... and the 4th gen Beco for the over 4 months old stage...

June 20, 2009

Birthday Card for E...

i've been a big fan of Kristina's (and her awesome videos) for a long time... and this particular card was so cute, i couldn't resist CASE'ing it for E's birthday... i didn't change too much up with this one, except for the addition of the scalloped edge and the use of Kiwi Kiss and Tangerine Tango (i'm so sad to see these In Colors retire)...

Recipe:
Inspiration: Kristina's Finally Friday card for June 19, 2009
Paper: Kraft, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip
Stamp Set: Dots Are Hot © Stampin' Up, Birds Galore © Inkadinkado
Embellishments: Thickers foam stickers, white gel pen, Tangerine Tango striped grosgrain ribbon
Tools: scallop edge punch, paper trimmer, tape roller, dimensionals

June 11, 2009

two great photo editing tutorials...

i stumbled upon these tutorials tonight on Lisa's site (yay for late night breastfeeding sessions) and had to share them... i'm a fluke photographer... any great shots i get are purely accidental and i haven't the first clue how to properly use my camera (a simple Cannon S3 IS)... the same thing goes for my photo editing software... i've learned a few tricks from online tutorials in my years using Photoshop, but i'm still mastering the Elements version i have on my Mac...

the first tutorial is on adjusting your camera's white balance settings... i will definitely be trying this next time i photograph one of my cards (i don't think i could get my toddler to stay still long enough to photograph him in the same light)...

the second is on adjusting the levels on a photo... i quickly did this with the last card i did for Miss J's birthday... here's the side-by-side comparision... it's fairly obvious, but the one on the left is the original photo, the one on the right is the adjusted photo...

so, please go on over to sideoats + scribbles, try out her tutorials and let her know how your experiments turned out...

June 8, 2009

A Little Something for Miss J:

when i saw this card posted on the Scalloped Edge for CC221, i knew it would be a great card to CASE for Miss J's birthday... i forgot how much i love the "rock & roll" technique, especially on a great stamp like the large flower from Eastern Blooms...

Recipe:
Inspiration: this card by Jackie and CC221 on SCS
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White, Rockabilly DSP
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss
Stamp Set: Yummy & Eastern Blooms © Stampin' Up
Embellishments: Fresh Mowed Grass Dew Drops
Tools: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder, paper piercer, SU Mat Pack, paper trimmer, Tombow Multi liquid glue, tape runner, dimensionals

MIA - but for a good reason...

sorry for the lack of updates lately... someone arrived at the end of May who has been keeping me pretty occupied...