Summer Fun

With summer now in full swing, this week's Glitz theme is focused on all the good things of the season. I decided to take the opportunity to scrapbook a few photos from a little treasure we found on a trip last summer, a small stretch of the Northern California shoreline with beach glass for sand. We spent hours sifting through the beautiful beach glass pebbles. To highlight the soft colors of the glass I used the aqua papers from the "Uncharted Waters" line, cutting a heart from one of the 8x8 papers. To add some texture I crumpled one of the Paper Layers, and placed a sequins over the date of our trip. Then added a playful pop of stamped anchors in the corners.   

"Glass Beach" Supplies:
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" 6x6 Paper Pad
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" 8x8 Paper Pad
Glitz Designs "Sunshine in my Soul" Alphabet & Word Sticker Sheet
Glitz Designs "Hello Friend" Crepe Trim
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" Mini Roller Doodle - Anchors
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" Washi Tape - Happiness
other: Chipboard Alphabet (American Crafts), doilies, sequins, ink, foam pop dots

Sandy Toes

Cardstock stickers add a beautifully embellished finish to a layout. Sorting through some photos from last summer, this one caught my eye. I thought it would be a fitting shot, perfectly complimented by the summer sun and the "Uncharted Waters" cardstock stickers. To get a little more mileage out of my stickers, I often cut them in half or, and doubl their use. I cut three different cardstock stickers for this layout. The "Sandy Toes" and ticket stickers are easy enough to tell, the list of numbers (top right) is from the bottom half of the "Remember This" sticker (center).

I started a new hobby with my girls recently. We are learning Spencerian script with a dip ink oblique pens. I have a long way to go, but we all start somewhere!

"Carmel" Supplies:
Glitz Designs "Color Me Happy" paper: Calkboard
Glitz Designs "Yours Truly" paper: Motif
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" 8x8 paper pad
Glitz Designs "Sunshine In My Soul" 6x6 paper pad
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" paper layers
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" Cardstock Journaling Stickers
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" Cardstock Title Stickers
Glitz Designs "Sunshine In My Soul" Cardstock Title & Accent Stickers
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" Giant Rhinestones
other: sequins, doily, card stock (Bazzill Basics)

Traditions

Another busy summer has come, and is nearly gone, and because I've been a little behind on the ol' blog, I wanted to get a post up here before another month has gone by. {Leslie- This one's for you...}

Years ago I saw the idea in Creating Keepsakes Magazine to have a "Back to School Fashion Show". So every year, for the past seven years, we've kept the tradition alive at our house. I'm pretty sure the girls have grown several inches since school got out in June, which meant all new clothes for those longer legs and arms. I guess the who part of the gig I'm having a bit of trouble with is just the fact that this is year seven... which means I have a Middle Schooler this year. You try your best to savor every moment along the way, however it still seems like the whole of life slips by entirely too fast. So here's to another year of savoring life's little moments before they're gone.

{Emma's favorite outfit}

Another mile-marker this year hit when the girls grew out of Gymboree {sigh} and into the beginnings of the junior's section. It's a bigger transition for me I think, and definitely a little tougher to find cute yet modest clothes for girls. Any store or brand recommendations for modest junior/big kid clothes would definitely be welcome! I think we did pretty well just picking through the selection at a variety of stores. Ahhh, the new and exciting adventures that come with each new age bracket!

{Torrey's favorite outfit}

I watched the fog roll into the valley this morning carrying it's reminder that the end of summer is nigh. The last few days of season to soak up the sun and relax with a good book and a cool drink will be exchanged for cozy sweaters and reading by the fire. But life is full of drawing the line between things, seasons and stages and eras... and I'll leave with a quote by Chesterton:

“Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere.” 

-G. K. Chesterton

Freckles, Smiles and Summer Sun

I love it when the summer sun brings out the hidden freckles on my daughter's face. I'm sure they'll fade away much sooner than I hope. It's just one more of the million little memories that I'm glad I've got down on paper now. The little things, those things you're sure you'll never forget, but somehow slip away. Like just how tiny they are, or how their dimple shines when they smile, or how they concentrate when they're drawing, or how their freckles fill their sweet little face in the summer. My summer plans this year (again) include doing my best to document those little things.

To make this flower with Glitz Designs Laced with Grace Polka paper: Punch eight hearts from the cardstock. Fold each heart in half lengthwise. Then fold each half in half (think accordion style). Glue the folded hearts onto a circle of cardstock.

Glitz Design "Laced with Grace" Papers: Stripe, Polka
Glitz Design "Afternoon Muse" Papers: Stripe, Floral
Glitz Design "Afternoon Muse" Glitzer stickers
Glitz Design "Laced with Grace" Clear Stamps
Glitz Design "Afternoon Muse" Peek-a-boo
Glitz Design Teeny Alpha Cream

Glitz Design "Afternoon Muse" Papers: Banner, Floral, Block
Glitz Design "Afternoon Muse" What Nots
Glitz Design "Afternoon Muse" Glitzer stickers
Glitz Design "Laced with Grace" Clear Stamps
Glitz Design "Afternoon Muse" Peek-a-boo

this crazy life

summer whizzed by in a whirlwind of homecoming, vacation, daily life and camp. and here we are on the second day of september already. where does the time go? it seems to sneak by in the twinkling of an eye. both of the girls grew several inches this summer. stan keeps telling them they're not allowed to grow anymore... but alas, they still do. :)

so i'll quicky share our last few precious days of the summer of 2010. while sitting around the house emma asked if i would curl her hair with the wavy curling iron... so we did and got a few pictures that epitomize summer, i think. there are more here.

after the previous day filled with summer sunshine, it poured rain. we snuggled up under blankets and hunkered down for the day.

stan's squadron had their annual picnic. stan was voted into the dunk tank. the girls (and a bunch of the navy fellas) had a great time dunking him over and over. he made sure to give the girls a sloppy wet hug when it was all over, though.

saturday was just one of those days... you know the kind of day where you just want to get back in bed and pretend you never really started it? yah, it was that kind of day. lots of prayer and a wonderful husband really make the difference through those moments of tough junk. so while i may not have found the light at the end of the tunnel, at least i found a light in the kitchen. :)

sundays almost always seem to bring refreshment, renewal and a fresh crop of new wishes, hopes and dreams. thank God for sunday!

i figured i'd give a little sneak for some glitz projects that'll be up on their blog this week. hop on over there tomorrow (sept 3rd) to check them out.

stan's been reading the hobbit to the girls for the last little while. they're so entranced by it. it reminds me so much of my growing up. my dad read the series to my brothers and sister and i when we were growing up. and lucky for torrey & emma... they've got a wonderful daddy, too!

wednesday we had our annual back to school fashion show where the girls get to try on all of their new school clothes for the first time, and pick out their first day of school outfits. the rest of the pictures are here. it's funny how silly little traditions turn into the things that you look forward to most as the years go by.

the end and the beginning. the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. the end of lazy days and the beginning of a new adventure in learning and life. lasts and first, beginnings and ends. it's all part of this crazy life.