"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."
We took a walk to a swingset this weekend and let Graylyn swing for the very first time in her life. It was a very sweet moment for her.... and for me. I LOVE to swing and it brought me so much joy to see her enjoy it, too.
We spent the weekend painting our living room, putting fresh coats of paint on a couple pieces of old furniture, eating donuts, going out to eat yummy dinners, watching movies late night, dairy queen, and lovin on each other. I walked downstairs to the BIGGEST mothers day card ever and opened a jewelry box to find a beautiful heart locket engraved with my loves initials and my favorite pictures inside. It was also my first Mothers Day with my daughter in my arms. I'm one blessed Mama and so very thankful! *Also, I have the sweetest and most thoughtful husband in the world.
*Loving the new "a beautiful mess" iphone app I used to edit this photo.
We're painting this weekend. Finally. I've wanted gray walls for so long and I must say - it was easier to just daydream about it. Picking the "right" shade of gray is exhausting. I've spent A LOT of time this week on websites looking at gray rooms. (Thank you, Pinterest) So far we've chosen 5. Just when I think I've found the perfect shade, I lay it beside 10 other gray swatches and the color transforms right before my eyes. Too blue. Too periwinkle. Too beige. Too... not gray.
These are the 5. And after paiting a spot on the wall with each I think we've narrowed it down to two for sure.
(2) Martha Stewart's Chinchilla or (3) Behr's Pewter Mug
from left to right (all from Home Depot):
(1) Behr "Silver Screen"
(2) Martha Stewart "Chinchilla"
(3) Behr "Pewter Mug"
(4) Behr "Cathedral Gray"
(5) Martha Stewart "Cement Gray"
Pictures to come.
In my first post about starting Project Life I mentioned getting started (I was lost), the IKEA cart (love, love, love), and the Silhouette CAMEO my husband bought for me. In this post I'm sharing lots of my favorite supplies and where I've made most of my purchases. If I can provide a link I will but most of my items were in Michaels and Amazon. (PRIME shipping has changed our life!)
IKEA cart
Silhouette Cameo (not seen in this post)
I purchased these pretty pink canisters (below) from IKEA for only $5.99.
They hold small stamps and cutouts I've created on the silhouette.
I love these little bowls (below) from IKEA.
I store cardboard letters from Michaels ($1 aisle) and random pieces of fabric or supplies in them.
I LOVE washi tape. The polka dot rolls (below) I purchased from an etsy shop a year or two ago but you can find them anywhere now. The rest of the rolls were cheaper and all from Michaels.
I love using them for tape and for design on my Project Life cards.
I'd like to buy more of these plastic dishes (below).
They are great sizes for small items and I love them to help keep my 3x4 cards organized.
I purchased them all from TJMaxx for $1.99 each. They are by madesmart and I'm sure TJMaxx (or Marshalls/Homegoods) still sells them in various sizes.
I love these bunny stamps (below) I purchased from Michaels around Easter.
They were in the $2.50 bins of wooden stamps.
"Bunny" is my little girls nickname and I was thrilled to find cheap bunny stamps. They are darling!
Everything below (except for stainless steel bowl) is from the $1 aisle at Michaels! I LOVE the mini cards and envelopes and use them to write little letters and love notes to Graylyn (my daughter) for her album. It's been a while since I've purchased these but I'm pretty sure I've seen them on my recent trips to Michaels.
Once again, these SUPER CUTE stamps (below) are from the $1 aisle at Michaels! Circus animals with hats!! Nothing cuter! On my last trip to Michaels they still had plenty of these and also the matching notepads.
These would be so cute for a circus themed birthday party as favors!
(Other matching $1 circus items were available).
I love these ribbons (below) from the $1 aisle at Michaels.
The black and white tiny bows are from... you guessed it, the $1 aisle at Michaels. They are really sweet for tiny envelopes and little accents on my journal cards. They stick to paper nicely without ruining your paper/cards.
I also love the Martha Stewart grey bows from Michaels at regular price for a few dollars more.
I ordered these tiny letter stamps (below) from Amazon before Christmas.
I loved using them for all my Christmas gift tags and Valentines Day hearts.
They are also a perfect size for the small PL cards.
I purhcased these white planters (below) from IKEA maybe a year ago. I like using them in my IKEA cart but will be buying more at my next trip to use as flower vases for Graylyn's room. They are cheap and so pretty with the lacy top!
I got these printables (below) from Emily's Jones Design Company tutorial post for Valentines Day this year. I used the paper design I'd purchased from her in the past. (polka dot design)
Instead of throwing them away I am saving some and using others in Graylyn's PL album.
A few items (below). The tiny jar of pink buttons was from the $1 aisle at Michaels.
I ordered the Martha Stewart tiny cards/envelopes set from Amazon. I assumed they were regular sized cards and ordered 3 packs (24 cards/ea pack). When they were delivered I was a little disappointed but they've been a perfect size for the 3x4 pocket pages. I've used the mini alphabet stamps to leave little messages for Graylyn to find one day.
Some of my very favorite boxed stationary is by C.R.Gibson. These (below) are designed by Tina Givens and instead of spending too much on them online or in store I found them at Homegoods for $4.99 for the boxed set.
I purchased these fabric paper clips (below) from dearest someday's online shop. I love them as a cute detail.
(I do not currently see them as a set in her shop.)
Two of my favorite things here (below). The Dear Lizzy stamp I purchased not long ago from Amazon
and the two sheets of textured design paper from World Market. Not only will I use the paper for PL designs
but I'm also planning to use them in wall frames.
World Market has different designs here and in store. (Which is where I purchased from.)
Glue Dots are my friend. And they work. They are so much nicer and neater than using actual glue -
especially in your plastic pocket pages. I purchased the pack of 252 from Michaels.
I purchased both of these items (minus black bow) from the $1 aisle at Target recently. Yes, even the pack of stamps for a $1! The brown stickers includes two sheets.
I love this dish (below) I purchased from West Elm a couple of months ago in store. It was on clearance for a few dollars. I keep it under my monitor and toss to-do notes, my favorite pens, etc. in it)
6: Clothing items I ordered for Graylyn this week. (Baby clothes are my #1 weakness when it comes to purchases.)
1: Times we played SORRY! as a family. (Old games are our favorites. Uno, Sorry, Skipbo)
1: Ultrasound on my daughter, Graylyn's, lump under a bruise.
3 : Restaurants we ate from (take out and dine in)
1: Times we went down by the water to feed the geese and take photographs while getting rained on.
lost count: Kissed my husband on the lips
1: Attended a Minor League Baseball game (Graylyn loved it - so did I)
*Forgot where I first saw this featured on a blog recently. It's fun and I will try to include it every week. Which means remembering and keeping up with daily life.
Graylyn's wearing: Gap bubble one-piece, matching sun hat
I have a serious Gap online shopping problem. Every week their emails of 30%, 35%, 40% lure me in to adding sweet baby girl items to my shopping cart until, BAM, I'm hitting "checkout" before I can say, "My husband's going to cancel our internet." So far he just laughs when the Gap bags show up. So far.
These are just a few items I've purchased recently. While I am not looking forward to the sweltering heat that summer brings, I'm very much looking forward to dressing my little blonde girl for her first (mobile) summer.
