the big reveal

...albeit, a day late.  I fell under the weather, and then our anniversary hit, and well...I'm late.  But here they be!  My Studio Calico November Guest Designer layouts!  Dah-dah-dah-da!!!!!

*chirp*
*chirp*

Knock It Off: using the Monterey Add-On.  Love the little Walker's Drug Store journaling stamp this add-on offers.  (And reading Kelly Purkey's description of how it was designed, made me love it even more.)

Mom's Boo Hoo Moment: using the Sonoma Add-On.  I also used the O's from the awesome alphabet stamps in the main kit (Napa Valley) and Barn Door Ink in order to bring more attention to the grommets in the envelope and the fact that I intended those grommets to be O's. You got that they were O's didn't  you?  I hope?  Well, if not, those are O's.  And that should help the title make a lot more sense to you.  Mom's Bo Ho Moment?  Not so much.  Also, a note about the star.  A star might seem like a bit of a perky page element to accompany journaling of a rather sad nature.  I know.  But I wanted the star to reflect on Sean, and what an amazing help he was to me that afternoon.  He deserved a star.  And so he got one.  :)

Reason #472509386: using the main kit (Napa Valley).  This kit was a true joy to work with.  The colors were rich and representative of fall, but in no way drab or limiting to pages about fall, if you know what I mean.  Case in point.  A layout about me not having to pump my own gas has nothing to do with fall.  Except for the fact that I love, love, love getting to stay in my warm, dry car in the fall while my fuel depletion issues are tended to by hard-working fuel depletion experts.  See?  Mucho flexibility.

A note about the title, because I've been asked.  I started by stamping a sheet of cardstock with repeating rows of the fabulous Jett Number Stamps.  Then turning the paper upside down, I traced some chipboard letters that I had on hand, and cut them out, then traced around their edges with a medium point marker.  I wanted the title to hang over the edge of the page, so I trimmed the background sheet of paper down by ~3/4", so that once the title was adhered, it could still fit easily into a standard 8.5x11 page protector.  (To be clear, that black border you see on the left isn't black paper...that's the title hanging off into space and the background of the photo is dark.  Looks fun in person...might not translate quite as well in 2-D.  Sorry.)

...And Chews: using Napa Valley, the alphabet from Sonoma, the delightful Jett Number Stamps, and the Add-On Patterned Paper kit.  Again, the dark border isn't paper...it's just the background of the photo.  I chomped right into the edges of the page with my scalloped circle punch to make it look like the little shiznit got a hold of it and did so herself.  But who are we kidding?  It's just a matter of time before she finds it and does so, anyway.  I love my dog.  And it's a good thing I do.

One of Her Favorites:  using Napa Valley, and the Add-On Patterned Paper kits.  This is probably my favorite of the pages I made this month, for sheer sentimental value.  Love this poem because it just has such strong ties to my mom for me.  And it's certainly the page that took me the longest.  All those itty bitty paper piecings gave me old-lady hand cramps.  I'm just now starting to feel my fingers again.

Going Places: using bits of Napa Valley,  Add-On Patterned Paper,  the Jett Number Stamps, and the Walker Drug Store stamp from the Monterey add-on.  I opted to use the stamped images of the drug store stamp upside down and not include the stamp text on this page.  I started out with it, and then thought...this is a page about where my son is going in his young life...do I want him to think I was insinuating he was heading for a life of prescriptions and cold remedies?  LOVE the stamp.  Just thought I'd edit it down in this particular case.  :)  Just in cases.  (Name the movie reference and you get a bonus. Don't know what yet, but you'll get one.  Paige...you don't count.)

So, that's it!  I've got one more page (and hopefully a project) that will be featured on the Studio Calico Blog in the next week or so.  And then I can breathe easy again.  :)

Please take some time to check out the entire Design Team Gallery this month.  It's beyond inspirational. Those Studio Calico gals...they've got mad talent.

our fifteenthiversary

15 years ago today, I stood in front of friends and family and promised to love him and only him for the rest of my life. 

15 years ago today, I laughed my way through my wedding ceremony with my best friend.  And laughed.  And laughed.  And, probably inappropriately & distractingly so, laughed.

15 years ago today, I changed my name and became a different person.  The same person, only different.  More.  Whole.

15 years go today, I got cake crammed so far up my nose, I had to excuse myself from the reception to go remove it in a manner not exactly becoming of a blushing bride.  (Cake rocket. 'Nuf said.)

15 years ago today, I joined forces with the person who would help me create a brood of Super Nelsons.

15 years ago today, I had no idea what the future would hold.  Where we would be.  Who we'd become.  I only knew that it would be just right.  

And it has been.  

I love you, Steve.

Happy 15th, babe.  :)

a sigh of relief

Our sweet Seanie.  He's recently had a couple of bouts of chest pain, blurred vision and shortness of breath.  The first time it happened, it passed about as quickly as it started, so I opted to keep an eye on him.  But he experienced it again a few nights ago, and this time it lasted longer than the first time.  He was scared.  And to be honest, so were Steve and I.  We went in to the doctor yesterday (I LOVE our pediatrician!), and she thankfully put our fears to rest.  Sean, by all outward appearances, is as healthy as a horse, and his little heart is beating just as strong and as regular as it should be.  The EKG looks good, too.

Whew!

The diagnosis, then?  Possible anxiety attacks.

He's TEN.

One shouldn't have enough anxiety to cause an attack at ten.  My buddy.  :(  He's my kiddo who's mind never slows down, so I can't say entirely that I'm surprised.  And he's pretty sensitive, too, which I suppose puts him at further risk.

But still.

I hate not being able to protect him from all that's out there.  Or in this case, all that's IN there.

In any event, we're thrilled it's not something seriously wrong.  Bring on the anxiety, man.  I'll take that over the alternative any day.  Maybe Sean and I just need to enroll in some Mommy & Me yoga classes.  I really like the sound of that.  :)

On a completely different note,  the big Studio Calico reveal is tonight!  Yay!  The early pre-order for subscribers is this morning at 9:00 PST, but the full design team reveal is tonight at 9:00 PM PST (Midnight EST).  Don't miss it! And be sure to check out those Jett number stamps.  They were my absolute favorite piece of the whole shabang.

one last peek

...at what I've been up to with the November Studio Calico kit.  :)  I've made 6 pages so far, and haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what the kit offers.  Seriously.  When I finished everything up, I realized I hadn't even touched one of my very favorite components of the kit yet!  Funny the way that worked out.  Ah well.  They will undoubtedly make it on to another page in the very near future.  Anyway, here's a glimpse of my last three flirtations with Napa Valley and the add-ons:

Only 3 more sleeps until full reveal!  Get your credit cards ready, ladies.  You're going to want it all.  :)

color me giddy

Holy Hannah, am I.  I was asked by my scrapbook/interwebs home away from home, Studio Calico, to be their guest designer for November's kit.

Gimme a second.  I'm palpitatin'.

This is a big deal.  I love Studio Calico.  We're talkin', like, would-wear-their-varsity-jacket-to-the-big-game love.  And they did.  They asked me to wear their varsity jacket.

For November, anyway.

But that's ok.  Studio Calico has a lot of girlfriends.  And I'm willing to overlook it, I love them that much.  You've got to give a kit club their space.  I'm down with it.

Goofy high school crush references aside, I'm thrilled to have been invited to participate.  April and her crew are a class act, and it really is an honor.  Thanks again, April.  :)

The kit (and full design team reveal) is available on October 28th, but we're allowed to post little peeks of what we're working on in the mean time.  So you wanna see what I've been doing so far?  Just a little sneak?  Ok.  But don't ask for any more...

I don't kiss and tell.

Using the Main Kit, Napa Valley:

Using Add-On #4, Sonoma (plus a wee bit from the main & Add-On #3, Monterey):

Using Add-On #3, Monterey: