I am so please and excited to announce Elle's Studio's first workshop-- the Summer Lovin' Mini Album Workshop!  I have been working super hard on this FUN mini album and I am thrilled to finally share the workshop with you.

Summer is finally upon us:  Relaxed schedules. Time to play. Time to explore. Time to enjoy a slower pace.  Summer is such a wonderful time of the year, and one that is meant to be documented.

Inspired by our first and very popular Savoring Summer Project Kit, Elle and I are thrilled to develop a workshop where we show you how to put together your own Summer Mini Album.

For the Summer Lovin' mini album I used Elle's new Summer Line, Summer Lovin' with our two most recent Project Kits, Here & Now and Everyday Moments (pssst these kits are now on sale for 25% off while supplies last!!).  But, the best part of this workshop is you can use the items in your own stash.

With the purchase of the Summer Lovin' Mini Album workshop, you will receive:

• step by step instructions on how to put together pages for an album and how to embellish each page.   
• three updates throughout the summer showing the progression of my own album with any additional thoughts or techniques used.

• thirteen exclusive Elle's Studio digital tags for your Summer Lovin' mini album.

Aren't these exclusive tags GREAT????  Are you ready to join me in documenting your summer months?  I hope so!  The workshop will be so much fun and it's very affordable at the low cost of $9.99.  Click here for more details.

Today is also a huge day at Elle's Studio where in addition to the workshop, Elle launched the new summer
line- Summer Lovin'!!!  I used the Summer Loving tags in the base of my album-- they are just gorgeous.

And new stamps too...

Thanks for swinging by today and happy shopping!!!

Strawberry Picking

It's a Memorial Day Weekend tradition every year...

Strawberry Picking!

Someone was in charge of tasting (just like last year).

While someone (and his daddy) were in charge of picking.

I was in charge of the camera.   Which annoyed everyone else after awhile.

Oh well.

We were in and out within 30 minutes this year.

But we had so much fun.

P.S.  make sure to swing back tomorrow.  I have BIG news to share!

Project Life Week 20: A Milestone

Today's Project Life covers week 20, May 14-20.  Which was the LAST WEEK of SCHOOL for both Jonah and Jordan!!

This particular week is a milestone in my Project Life album(s).  Back in August of last year I decided on a whim that I was going to start Project Life on the first day of school.  This decision was made two days AFTER the start of school, so there was no pre-planning involved.  I jumped in head first and have LOVED it ever since.

Dare I say this has totally changed the way I view memory keeping??  It hasn't change the way I scrapbook, not at all.  Quite honestly it's only enhanced it.   Project Life has taught me SO much about memory keeping in these past nine months.  Since this week is the milestone week, I thought i would share a few thoughts: 

1.  I have learned to not judge/criticize every piece of my work.  There are times where I feel like I look at my layouts and my favorites would be the ones that are designed better (or whatever?).   Project Life has helped me to see that is a jaded way of looking at memory keeping.  There is much more to memory keeping than design.  Sure, there are week's in Project Life that I like better than others (because of design), but what is so cool about this Project is that it's not about any particular week.  The sum is greater that the parts.  It's the whole that makes it so special.  I don't feel that i necessarily have that completeness in my layout albums.

2.  I have rediscovered my love for photography. This past year I have taken more photos than the last few years combined.  My camera is OUT.  always.   

3.  I am using my stash.  period.  And i have to say it feels good to finally use all the things I have purchased.

4.  I am watching progression.   In my Project Life album I watched Jonah complete is Prep-K year.  I watched Jordan complete her first pre-school year.  I watched Todd and I go from starting to build a new house to purchasing an older home and remodeling.   I watched friendships develop.  I watched each one of us grow in our own ways.  

5.  I have watched my family enjoy (and participate in) my hobby.  Jonah and Jordan LOVE looking at the Project Life albums.  It's definitely the most requested/looked at album we own.  Todd contributes with journaling and photos.  I love that this project has engaged my family in the process and they are each discovering their own love for memory keeping.

this was my very first Project Life layout, starting with the first day/week of school

I can't say enough how much I love this Project.  It has really been a big part of my life this past school year and I am SO glad I made that decision on whim to jump in and start Project Life last August. 

I look forward to documenting our summer with Project Life!!  It will be fun as we develop new routines and do new and different things.  This particular week concludes my second Project Life book and the first week of summer will be my first week in my third book.

Loving everything about Project Life.  Thanks for swinging by today!


Make sure to stop by Elle's Studio to enter my Project Life giveaway. Also linking up with The Mom Creative today. 

Project Life was created by Becky Higgins as a way to simplify how you document life and preserve memories. Photo pockets used in my Project Life are created by Becky and can be found here. You can read all of my Project Life posts here.

Swimming, Strawberries, and a Layout

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

I hope you are having a great holiday weekend so far.  We are in full SUMMER mode at the Hufford House.  Yesterday we went to the new (older) house and did this:

And today we did this:

And tonight we are going to an Indy 500 party downtown. (like one with a red carpet & celebs).  Kinda dying, and wondering if we will look super cool rollin up in our minivan???  ;)

ANYWAY, i wanted to share another layout here that was inspired by my Stretched post.

I created this for the AWESOME website kick-off Party at Elle's Studio.  My challenge here is to add layering to your layout! 

Here is all the info on how to participate in my challenge (and have a chance to win a $20 Elle's Studio gift card!)  I hope you play along!

Have a safe and wonderful weekend.

Project Life Week 19: Leaving things out

This week covers the week of May 7-13.  I posted it earlier this week over at Elle's Studio.  Be sure to visit that post for a chance to win a $20 Elle's Studio gift card!

It was a busy week (aren't they all?) with three major events occurring: my Grandma's 85th birthday, continued renovations in our new (older) home, and Mother's Day.

A few other events/quotes were incorporated in the week (Jonah's first baseball game, funny quotes from Jordan, etc), but for the most part, I focused on the three primary events.

To continue documenting the progress of our house I added photos of items like the trim in our garage, a photo of the blueprints, the paint palate we are working from, and a photo of the raised ceiling in the living room.

My Grandma turned 85 this week and my entire family (except for a few that live out of town:( went to dinner to celebrate.  It's always a LOUD event when my whole family is together.  We mixed it up and had random seating so immediate family members weren't sitting next to each other-- it was so fun!!!  Everyone forgot their cameras (epic fail for the scrapbooker in me!) but we managed to get quite a few nice iPhone photos of the family.  Goes to show you don't need top notch quality photos to included in Project Life.

Since it was Mother's Day, I wanted to include a few things from my kids.  Somehow i forgot to print our family photo from that day so I may go back and add it later.  Jordan made this picture of me and answered hilarious questions so I had to include it.

Jonah made a sweet gift at school--- it was a towel with his foot print.  I couldn't add it in Project Life, but I cut the bag, poem, and bow he put the gift in and included it here.

There were other photos from the week that i LOVE that i didn't really include (lots of Jordan and her ballet friends).  I left it out not because i don't love them, but because i felt it didn't really tell the story of our week.  It tells the story of her ballet experience-- the friends she has made, the routine, her new love for dance... and i feel that is better suited for a layout.  I am realizing it's okay to leave photos out and reserve them for something else.

Thanks for swinging by today!

Project Life was created by Becky Higgins as a way to simplify how you document life and preserve memories. Photo pockets used in my Project Life are created by Becky and can be found here. You can read all of my Project Life posts here.

Incorporate the Everyday

This is a big week over at Elle's Studio-- we are celebrating the Elle's Studio website kick off party all week with tons of games, challenges, and prizes worth over $300.   Makes sure you check it out-- all the prize/participation details can be found here.

I am super excited to be "hosting" a few challenges this week, and my first challenge is to incorporate the everyday in a layout or project.   

Ticket stubs, maps, receipts, advertisements, clothing tags, grocery sacks, bags-- these are all examples of ways to incorporate the everyday.  Get creative and crazy!  I can't wait to see what you came up with (all details on this contest, how to enter/where to post can be found here).  In my layout for this challenge, I decided to use the map from the Indianapolis Zoo as the foundation.  I took SOOO many photos from our little Spring Break day trip to the zoo.  I printed the photos at Mpix in there mini-photo size. 

  

I then punched the photos with a circle punch, and backed the photo with a larger punched kraft paper circle.   I adhered the photos to the map using pop dots to give it extra dimension against the busy background of the map.

Elle's Studio Pennants were PERFECT for labeling each photo and location.  I used a variety of Pennants including Brights, Vintage, Halloween, and Red.

I hope you play along with my "everyday challenge"!   I can't wait to see what you make and all the creative ways you can incorporate the everyday in your layout/project!!

I'll be back tomorrow to share my Project Life!

Hello Summer

Friday marked the end of the school year for both Jonah and Jordan.

Jonah's last day:

And First day:

Jordan's last day:

And First day:

Goodness, this year flew by.  I am always a bit emotional at the end of the school year.  I am certainly happy to have my kids around all of summer, but for me there is something sad about goodbyes and closing a chapter of their lives.  We are so thankful for amazing teachers that invest so much in the lives of our children.

In efforts of celebrating the end of the year, we kicked off the weekend by celebrating at Cheeseburger in Paradise (Jonah's favorite restaurant.  He's a true Parrothead in the making).

We then spent the majority of the weekend at the new house swimming.

Sure, we had to navigate our way through sawdust to visit the restrooms, but hey, at least the pool is in top notch working condition!! That's what counts, right? ;)

This first summer weekend wouldn't be complete without baseball.... have I mentioned that Jonah and his cousin Jack are playing together in their first year of tee-ball?

not quite sure what's happening here, but i think it's better than picking dandelions :)

Ahhhhh summer.  Good to see you again.


Before I end this somewhat random post, I wanted to share with you that there's TONS of fun stuff going on over at Elle's Studio this week.  Lots of challenges and prizes (over $300 worth of prizes) in celebration of our new website.   My first challenge goes live at 6pm EST today on the blog but wanted to share a little sneak here. ;)

Make sure to stop by and check it out.

Happy Monday, and Happy Summer!!