Inspired by The Great Gatsby

This week our Glitz Design challenge was to find inspiration from "The Great Gatsby". My girls and I love trying out vintage hairstyles, so I started by searching Pinterest for style inspiration. After imitating the flapper hairstyle and look we shot a few photos. The feathers, lace and bling from the era's style were a great jumping off point for my project. I finished off the layout by adding a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" to the photo of my daughter. 

"Rare Smile" layout supplies:

Glitz Design "Brightside" paper: Butterflies

Glitz Design "Carpe Diem" papers: Diamonds, Squirrels

Glitz Design "Brightside" 6x6 paper pad

Glitz Design "Carpe Diem" 6x6 paper pad

Glitz Design "Carpe Diem" Titles & Accents sticker sheet

Glitz Design "Brightside" washi tape - pink glitter

other: card stock (Bazzill Basics), feather (Michael's), tulle (Hobby Lobby), date stamp (Smash), scallop & butterfly punches (Martha Stewart Crafts), sequins, tag die (Stampin' Up), Sizzix Big Shot

Pattern, Color, Texture, Shine

Recently I rummaged through my stash and pulled out a package of vellum. I am loving the softness it adds to projects. For this week's embossing theme I dry embossed a rose pattern onto vellum, and cut around the outline of the roses for extra dimension. I made the ribbon by stacking a folded piece of pink tulle on top of a strip of ordinary party crepe paper, then ruffled it as I ran it through my sewing machine. To finish it off I stitched on a couple strips of embossed cardstock and patterned paper then stamped a few platinum feathers.

"Elegance" layout supplies:

Glitz Design "All Dolled Up" papers: Bits & Pieces

Glitz Design "All Dolled Up" 6x6 paper pad

Glitz Design "Black & White" 6x6 paper pad 

Glitz Design "All Dolled Up" Titles & Accents sticker sheet

Glitz Design "All Dolled Up" Alphabets & Words sticker sheet

Glitz Design "All Dolled Up" Giant Rhinestones

Glitz Design "All Dolled Up" washi tape - Cherries

Glitz Design "Finnley" rubber stamps 

other: card stock, vellum, crepe paper, tulle, platinum ink, embossing folder, embossing plate, Big Shot 

daily life

Wow! These pictures sure stack up if you get a day or two behind. Sometimes editing everyday gets a little overwhelming, but then I suppose it isn't as overwhelming as letting the photos stack up. So here they are. I think I've just about caught up on editing and posting or very nearly. So let's see if I can keep from getting behind again!

For scrapbooking news: I've got a new Punky Sprouts & Carta Bella project that'll be up on the blog on Wednesday. Then we'll have another Glitz Designs blog hop on the 28th of March. 

We copied another hairstyle we found on Pinterest, which as a bonus came out in beautiful waves the following day.

Second day hair. 

Torrey's been working on writing a story for the past month for the Young Authors conference coming up. Every spare minute has been spent clicking away at the keyboard.

This was the final result... her short story Battling Darkness. We modified a photo of Emma for her cover.

A glimpse of spring on our lampshade. 

A little sneak peek at the Punky Sprouts & Carta Bella project that will be up on Wednesday.

St. Patrick's Day we did Emma's hair up into a shamrock in honor of the saint's illustration of the Trinity.

This past week my brother was in town and we did some work on sorting through our parents' things. One accomplishment was getting Dad's library moved over to our house. (The above is just part of his collection.) We also got the girls moved back into their rooms, which they both gave up when Mom and Dad got sick last year. I still struggle a lot with moving their things out of the rooms, and Stan has been more than a blessing with helping me through all of this. We both were able to work together on setting up the library. Made it feel like there was a piece of him here with us, or several thousand pieces!

“Alone of all creeds, Christianity has added courage to the virtues of the Creator. For the only courage worth calling courage must necessarily mean that the soul passes a breaking point and does not break.” –G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

three days

I've been on and off the technical world with my internet in and out the past several days. I'm not sure if we'll lose it again tonight, so I'll do my best to get this photo heavy post up.

I went to another funeral today. Another friend who lost her mom. I read a beautifully written post by a mother who is losing her son at this very moment his life is slipping away from them. She opened her thoughts with this statement, "This prolonged goodbye offers us an advantage, but at a price." We have these times to say the things we otherwise may have let slip by unsaid. But it comes at a price. I've been thinking about the people around me, and whether I am saying the things that ought to be said everyday. People are so valuable, every last one is a gift from God, even when it's hard to see. I pray that I have the courage to love fully everyday, and not let the moments slip away.

Taking time to write love notes.

St. Valentine's Day

Little morning teaties for my sweeties

Stopped by the old Thrifty Foods because I love the color of their wall, and as an added bonus it matched the bands on her braces. As we were walking back to the car, I got clever with the "No Parking" turning it into NO L. 

As in a mirror darkly... reflections in an old window.

Fridays for us always mean a holy hour of prayer at Church, and during Lent we add Stations of the Cross. (We made Emma's hair into a cross for the occasion.)

The morning Emma came down with a stomach bug. Stan kept her company while Torrey and I were at the funeral. The rest of the day needed a warm fire, a good book and a little time just to relax. 

‎"WHAT was wonderful about childhood 

is that anything in it was a wonder. 

It was not merely a world full of miracles; 

it was a miraculous world."

~G.K. Chesterton: 'Autobiography'

the whole world in His hands

This week has been a bit of a ride, more like the past several weeks. Amidst all of the turmoil there have been so many opportunities to see all of the blessings in daily life. I think sometimes we see them best in the conflict and chaos, or at least they're most visible if we have eyes to see. Sometimes my eyes are a little slow to open to the surrounding graces, but each day is a little step toward that. 

Sending a little love to Daddy

Linked together with love

Raindrops keep falling on my head...
(I've had that song stuck in my head since I took this picture)


and one with a smile


a take off a hairstyle idea we found on Pinterest

My sweet Valentine flowers from my number one man Stan.
xo




Chesterton Quote of the Day

"Of the sane man there is only one safe definition.
He is a man who can have tragedy in his heart and comedy in his head."

-G.K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles