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Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

LCH // A Scrapbook Layout

A sweet friend of mine decided that some of our old Two Peas group should do a layout and post it today and I was more than happy to join in.

About six years ago there was an amazingly supportive group over there. We chatted, uploaded layouts regularly, and the gallery was the best. So much encouragement and feedback. I really miss those days sometimes!

Here’s what I made. Choosing the photo was a no brainer. As several of you said…this photo of Lucy was screaming to be scrapped!

I stuck with a white+gold color scheme and used modified journaling from my Wordless (ish?!?!) Wednesday blog post…Easy peasy.


Supplies: Carta Bella Wildflower 6×6 pad, Martha Stewart tissue flowers, Freckled Fawn metal flowers, Crate paper stitched labels, Chic Tags star rubons, MME enamel dots, American Crafts gold thickers, Twine and Ink gold labels, doilies

TGIF, sweet friends!

xoxo

2014 Project Life Title Page + Free Download

Today I wanted to share my 2014 PL title page with y’all.

I decided to keep it simple and chic and I stuck with black and white + metallics.

Product wise I dug into my stash and used several printables.

Supplies: Gossamer Blue (gold heart card), Paislee Press (white card w/ script), Fellow Fellow (Let’s Go and Be Amazing card- I changed the background color),Mary Oliver card- my design (see below), MME washi tape, American Crafts thickers, Recollections glitter alphabet, sequins, doilies, Freckled Fawn feather veneer, Crate Paper patterned paper, Heidi Swapp together banner

I really wanted to include one of my favorite quotes by Mary Oliver but I couldn’t find a digital representation that I liked.

So I decided to make my own. I want something elegant and simple that matched my color scheme.

As lots of you know…i do NOT sew. So I closed the confetti/veneer pocket with washi.

I love the card so much I decided to share it with all of you. Enjoy!

To download the Mary Oliver quote, CLICK HERE.

Happy 2014!

xoxo

S

Loving Lately.

Today I want to share a couple of items that I am loving lately.

Up first…my Artifact Uprising photo book that I made with my Florence iPhone photos.

AU has a great website where you can make books with any photos…but for this book I used the Artifact Uprising free app and ordered the book directly from my phone.

Amazing quality and EASY to make. Win Win. I’ll be ordering these for each trip we make. I hope to have a big basket full of them at the end of our three years here.

The next thing I want to share is this 20 Questions Birthday Interview Blurb book by Nicole Reaves. Cutest.Idea.Ever.

The book has a set of questions that you ask your child on (or close to) their birthday. These are for Cate and Lucy and they go from 3 – 18.

These are going to be such a treasure for them to have one day. And the quality is outstanding. Find out more HERE.

Okay, that’s all for today.

Still working my way through all the comments on the “Roll Call” post. I am determined to respond to each one…even if it takes me a year. HA!

Love to you all-

xoxo

S

wordless (ish?!?!?!) wednesday

Oh, sweet Lucy.

I know. It’s so so so hard being three.

No one understands what you are trying to say, and that makes you mad. It causes you to talk louder (and really close to Mommy’s face) and gesture wildly.

And then Mama STILL doesn’t get what you are saying. And that? Makes you fusstawated, as you say.

It’s hard having to choose a different princess dress to wear every day. And then choosing the accessories too? Exhausting.

It’s horrible when you try to kiss your sisters but decide to lick their faces instead. And then they scream!

The humanity.

Mommy won’t let you brush your teeth 7 times a day for an hour each time, even though you ask repeatedly. And she says “No Ma’am!!!” when you suck the toothpaste right out of the tube.

She doesn’t let you have cake for breakfast or yayyipops in bed.

Sigh.

It’s horrible.

Your sisters are always up in your business, your mommy won’t let you use the grown up scissors. You’re not allowed to pull Cate’s hair. Your daddy says “No No! Softer!” when you chunk things at him as hard as you can.

Your favorite song is “I yike fooooood” “I yike chicken ” “I yike pizza” “I yike freeeee fries” and your mean mommy won’t give you those things for every meal.

Double sigh.

Is it any wonder you are perturbed?

I think not.

What I’m Reading 2014 // January 2014 Edition


One of my goals for 2014 is to be more intentional about reading. To track my books via Goodreads, to pay attention to what I read and didn’t read, to share what I’m reading here.

I hope this will be a monthly feature, but I’ve learned by now never to say anything for sure. HA!!

Let me share how I devour read and choose books.

My favorite thing about the end of the year is the “Best Of” lists you can find. I’ve pinned several of them to my Books Pinterest board HERE.

As I read the lists I add books to my Goodreads “to read” list.

The other day I added a bunch of books from the Kirkus Best Fiction of 2013 list…and when I got to the library I pulled up my Goodreads app and went from there.

When I go to the library I check out all the books that catch my eye. I don’t expect that I’ll read them all, but I’m not sure which ones will and won’t get read. I take a stack and return the ones that I’m not feeling.

January List:

1.Wild by Cheryl Strayed

2. The Returned by Jason Mott

3. Canada by Richard Ford

4. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

5. Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan (just noticed this one is 2nd in a series I haven’t read the 1st of…probably won’t be reading it).

6. The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

7. The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

Books I completed last month:

1. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett- Didn’t like this one. Ann Patchett is a beautiful, poetic author but I really disliked this book. It bored me (no matter HOW MUCH I wanted to like it) and the ending ticked me off.

2. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon- Loved it. Beautiful, lyrical, spine-tingling and mesmerizing. Makes me want to visit Barcelona badly.

3. Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews- Devoured it in a few hours. It’s another Weezie/BeBe Savannah book and it was adorable. I didn’t want it to end. My only complaint is that it made me miss Savannah terribly.

4. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes- I fell in love with this and never wanted it to end. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

5. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain- Thanks to Paula, I’m now obsessed with the Lost Generation and the Jazz Age. I’ve always been intrigued by Hemingway/Fitzgerald/Stein/Joyce etc…and this book sealed the deal. Highly recommend.

6. Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand- It was okay. Highly forgettable but passed the time just fine. I’ve already forgotten about it.

Okay, there you go!

Hopefully I can keep up with this all year!

What are YOU reading?

xoxo

S