I have a new plan for PL.

Yep. So I've been doing KTOL a.k.a 'Keeping Track of Life' all year long and love it. It's a simplified version of PL in that it includes one double sided page protector and an interactive layout. Being able to do one layout using multiple photos is awesome.

But, this summer I decided to do a Summer Mini Album.



I used a Studio Calico Handbook for it and discovered how much I enjoyed the size and manner in which I could fill it. I didn't use date cards or anything. I just scrapbooked using pocket page protectors. It was awesome-I even managed to include some 6 by 8 layouts.



And so, I decided that it would be a great idea to do a seasonal project life. My plan is to use this Studio Calico woodgrain album for the Fall album. One for Winter & one for Spring.



So my Summer album is now complete-well, except the journaling which we all know is my weak spot. It's large and very, very full so I'll be sharing it over the next few days here on the blog.



So here goes Part 1 a.k.a The 3 Weeks We Spent in Ottawa. 'We' being a combination of M, E, & I as well as E &I.



I used a serious combination of Kelly Purkey PL kit products and some of my favourite things. This is the opening page. I used her 'Hello Summer' stamp and gold brilliance ink to stamp the sentiment repeatedly on white cardstock to create the background. Then I used this 3 by 4 kraft card with beautiful white letterpress.



Our summer bucket list still needs to be printed but I've left a spot for it. You'll notice that that is a repeated sentiment throughout this album. I sometimes like to add my personal thoughts and ideas after displaying my work on the blog.





I discovered I love tacos-specifically fish tacos- at El Camino in O-Town with some of our fav people Mike & Nicole.



While we hung out M went to Ottawa Explosion Weekend with Mike. It involved a few Gatorade-fueled mornings.



I got to visit some of my old students which was pretty awesome.





I used lots of KP flair-I love it all. And those food stamps came in very, very handy this summer! Not just in O-Town.



We ate at some of our fav places of course like The manx for brunch. And there was lots of prep for L's 2nd birthday party-monkey themed of course.









I met up with lots of friends including the girls from MA. It was awesome to see them and catch up on life and school and all that good business. I miss them so much. We were such a good team together.



After M went back home I made time to discover some cool local spots I'd never been to in O-Town.



Eugene & Kobe became fast friends and they really enjoyed one another's company. You could say they had a summer romance.



We ate lots of ice cream...



And I tried an awesome new spot- Supply & Demand. They had the most delicious Kale caesar salad.



Nicole and I went to the spa. It was epic.



I celebrated Canada day for the first time in O-Town. I was always at camp in NYC when we lived there.



And then we visited the burbs. It was a short lived visit that ended in a return DT where there were less children to be harassed.





And I got to see all the girls in a fun & silly martini night. Then we went home.

It was an amazing start to our summer and one we would def do again! If Mike & Nicole will have us! They were the best hosts ever this summer-dealing with me & E.

Tomorrow I'll be sharing some more of our summer at home. Stay tuned!

xoxo
K

Monday Musings

So it's Monday.

I'll tell you a secret-I actually love Mondays.

No really.

It's a chance to start fresh for the week. It's the day when making new goals are paramount and possibility lies in the rest of the week. Best of all, on Monday's I have nothing planned after school or in the evening so it's a day with my boys. And I love my boys.

Speaking of my boys-this weekend we had a birthday party for Eugene. Yeah, we're those people. I even made him a puppy dog cake. LOL.



I recently started compiling pics to make a little blurb book of-who else- but Eugene and I came across a bunch of photos of a Fall puppy date that we had with our friend N & his puppy Clipper.



They had a great time and so did I taking pics and scrapbooking the photos. I mean how can you not love that action shot? Eugene looks like a crazy beast!



My lovely friend Cathie, who also has a love of puppies, gave me an awesome set of doggie brads that I used on this page. Check out that cute paw print! 



And I finally used one of those basdges I've been hoarding from 'A Life Handmade'. I also used some of that awesome paw print washi tape. Love it.

In the same visit I also happened to get a few close up shots of Eugene lounging on the patio. Look at my baby-



How can you not fall in love?!

This was a great opportunity to use up some scrappy bits. I used papers that were mostly leftovers from Studio Calico kits and Paperie kits. It was easy to tie all the colors together with a little mist and the colorful chevron strip.



I also used an old Ali Edwards stamp that I dug out from ages ago to add to the bottom with a little button and a little gem.



And of course, a little journaling tucked away for safe keeping.

And now, I must be off to plan my week! Enjoy your Monday.

xoxo
K

December Daily- You Are Done.

So it turns out having too much Xmas supplies is as bad as not having enough. One of my biggest issues was choosing what to use.

This year I ordered the Studio Calico DD kit & Kelly Purkey's DD kit. And then I couldn't resist a few extras from Basic Grey, October Afternoon, Crate Paper. Not to mention the ton of supplies that I had left over from all the other years of Xmas bits and pieces. So I had so much to choose from when I finally got down to business in making my album.

But it's finally done.



Cover supplies include: Studio Calico DD kit: album,  washi tape, Crate Paper boarder sticker, SC wood veneet, AC gold letters, BG blue letter, sequins. Kelly Purkey kit: 'Joy' card, background paper polka dots. Tree is a Chapters ornament that I stuck on there with a load of glossy accents.

I stuck with 25 days instead of my usual 31 because I was ready to be done-and by the look of the size of the album so was it. I will admit that the 4 by 6 size made it very easy to complete the album in record time seeing as how I didn't prep anything ahead of time. I also stuck to focusing on one event per day rather than trying to cram everything from each day into the album. In the past that's made it very overwhelming.

Even though it took me a little longer to get it all done this year I was pleasantly surprised with the ease with which it all came together.

So here's a bunch of photos of what it all looks like.







































And my very favourite-the last page...



How can you not be in love with that sleepy puppy? Christmas IS exhausting. This was taken using my iphone on the way home from our Christmas day festivities. It was a fluke that it turned out so perfect. Might be framing this one.

A few of the pages I love the most are December 4th-



The stamped sentiment is from an old SC set but it was so perfect for this pattern paper.

Then there's Dec. 9. It was so hard to chose photos from this one because it was such a fun night.



I love this shot. In the car, rear view mirror, using the iphone.



This was one of the few interactive elements I did to include a few more shots. It's a little strip of photos that folds out. It's adhered on top of the page protector.




And that's it. She's just full enough and she is lovely. I am so pleased that it's all done.



xoxo
K