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

Oh Happy Day

This week's Color Challenge incorporates a soft and feminine color pallet that fits right into my  girlie style. First, I used a makeup sponge to dab gold ink over a 12x12 stencil allowing the ink to fade out on the edges. Next I layered lots of light pink and light blue "Carpe Diem" goodies with vellum and strips of sheer ribbon. I secured all of the layers to the card stock by machine stitching a large gold heart over the layers. With a little smattering of finishing touches, the layout is complete. 

"Oh Happy Day" layout supplies:

Glitz Design "Carpe Diem" paper: Diamonds

Glitz Design "Carpe Diem" 6x6 paper pad

Glitz Design "Carpe Diem" Alphabets & Words sticker sheet

Glitz Design "Carpe Diem" Whatnots

Glitz Design "Carpe Diem" washi tape - Mint Chain

Glitz Design "77" Giant Rhinestones

other: gold ink, stencil, ribbon, heart punch, vellum

Die Cut Machines & Other Things

I'll admit it, I'm a lazy scrapbooker. The thought of pulling out my die cut machine often feels like such a chore, it sits gathering dust on my shelf. I know this is a new level of sloth, but it's the truth. However, when I do use it, I am always happy with the results. For this project I used my Big Shot die cut machine with an embossing folder to emboss the damask design onto pearl white cardstock. I folded a piece of scratch paper, to form cut lines for the rays. I cut along the folds, then embossed every other ray and affixed them to the lovely ombre blue "77" paper. Here's to a tiny step toward conquering laziness! 

"Hello Love" layout supplies:

Glitz Design "77" papers: Floral, Feather

Glitz Design "Black & White" 6x6 paper pad

Glitz Design "Carpe Diem" 6x6 paper pad

Glitz Design "77" Titles & Accents sticker sheet

Glitz Design "77" Whatnots

Glitz Design "77" Giant Rhinestones

other: Big Shot die cut machine, Cuttlebug embossing folder, card stock, tag, vellum, doily, date stamp

Color Trends: Pink, Silver/Gold & Neutrals

This week Glitz is featuring another on-trend color challenge, which doubles as a prep for Valentine's Day next week. The color pallet for this challenge includes pink, silver or gold and a neutral. 

Last week I took a few photos of my daughter in a headband tiara that belonged to her great grandma. The photos turned out so soft and sweet I thought this color pallet would be perfect match for them. I mixed some old favorites with the latest Glitz goodies, along with a touch of calligraphy in silver ink to complete the look. 

"Great Grandma's Crown" layout supplies:
Glitz Design "Hello Friend" papers: Polka, Clouds
Glitz Design "Cashmere Dame" paper: Gingham
Glitz Design "Hello December" 6x6 paper pad
Glitz Design "Dapper Dan" Alphabets & Words sticker sheet
Glitz Design "Hello December" Bits & Pieces
Glitz Design "Dapper Dan" Giant Rhinestones
Glitz Design "Hello December" Giant Rhinestones 
Glitz Design "Beautiful Dreamer" trim
other: card stock, oblique pen, silver ink, sequins, pearls, vellum 

All That Glitters is Gold

While I've always been more of a silver girl, the new gold trend has piqued my interest in the past months. I love the richness it adds against neutral accents. On this layout I added gold embossing powder to a rubber stamp from the "Raven" collection, as well as a wood veneer shape. The metallic gold of the embossing powder and accents adds richness to some of the gold tones in the patterned paper as well. 

"Shine" layout supplies:

Glitz Design "Finnley" paper: Stripe

Glitz Design "Finnley" 6x6 paper pad

Glitz Design "Hello December" 6x6 paper pad 

Glitz Design "Finnley" Alphabets & Words Sticker Sheet

Glitz Design "Finnley" Titles & Accents Sticker Sheet

Glitz Design "Raven" rubber stamps

other: Vellum, doily, veneer shape, gold embossing powder, sequins 

at home

I am always thankful for a new day. Today was a better day than yesterday, at least with fewer tears. We stayed home and just worked on schooling with the girls. I am thankful for the time spent reading through my dad's prayer journal from a few years back. He was such an amazing man, and I am blessed to have had him as my dad. I am blessed.

Since I hadn't put the mirror back up on the wall, I figured we could use it again for today's 365 shot.

"Home is not a prison, or even an asylum; nor is the case for the Home the idea that certain people should be locked up in it because they are weak-minded or incapable.... Those who believe in the dignity of the domestic tradition, who happen to be the overwhelming majority of mankind, regard the home as a sphere of vast social importance and supreme spiritual significance; and to talk of being confined to it is like talking of being chained to a throne, or set in the seat of judgement as if it were the stocks.... And we cannot assume, as both sides in this curious controversy so often do assume, that bringing forth and rearing and ruling the living beings of the future is a servile task suited to a silly person."

-G.K. Chesterton, 'Brave New Family'

a feather in her hat

Last year in January we pulled out a vintage hat I'd bought for a tea party baby shower, and took some pictures of Torrey (see photos here). Just over a year later, I figured it was Emma's turn with the feather hat. 

I've been thinking a lot this week about my dad. January 24th last year was the first day he took a real turn. The following day my sister and I forced him to go to the hospital. It's strange how this year of firsts walks you back through the events of last year day by day. So much to think about.

“The true soldier fights
 not because he hates what is in front of him, 
but because he loves what is behind him.”
-G.K. Chesterton 
Illustrated London News, 01.14.1911

At the Lamppost

With the first two days of snow completely dedicated to mad sledding fun, I was able to sneak in a quick shoot before day three of sledding began. Inspired again by Pinterest, we dusted off an old lantern and pulled a basket out of the closet to see what we could come up with. I'm not going to lie to you, I am in love with how these turned out. They seem to me to have a Narnia-esque feel to them with the snow and the lamppost. The whole world is so entirely quiet in the snow. The hustle and bustle of the thousand things that needed to be done all seem to be muffled by the silence of falling snow.

"And, for this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But, for them, it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover, and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on Earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before." 

-C.S. Lewis

Chesterton Quote of the Day

"Every great literature has always been allegorical - allegorical of some view of the whole universe. The Iliad is only great because all life is a battle, The Odyssey because all life is a journey, and The Book of Job because all life is a riddle."

-G.K. Chesterton, Defendant

Vintage Unaware

While Emma was out this afternoon Torrey and I were going to head to the State Park for a few pictures... but lulled to passivity by the warmth of the wood stove, we decided to just hit the backyard then run back in and get warm. She grabbed their lovely gray coat and one of my headbands, and threw the moment into a beautiful vintage European look. I couldn't choose one shot as my favorite for today, so since I can... I chose two. The first I chose because it had such a different look about it. The second I chose because I am clearly a sucker for a close up of that face and those eyes.

Chesterton Quote of the Day:

“The true soldier fights not because he hates

what is in front of him, 

but because he loves what is behind him.”
― G.K. Chesterton

Vintage Inspired

 

When I talked to the girls about doing Project 365 again especially for the sake of providing Daddy with pictures of his growing girls while he was gone, they asked if there could be "Kid's Choice" days each week where they'd pick the idea and/or location for the photos. Today was Torrey's choice, so she browsed through my Pinterest Photography board and found the above Old Hollywood style shot as inspiration. After a little hair curling action and digging out a vintage hat we were ready. These were the shots we came up with, the first as Torrey's pick for picture of the day.