Scrappy Hearts

Project Life, Week 16

Otherwise known as the week I got married!

Saturday of this week saw Mark and I flying into Raleigh, NC between tornados. I actually sat on the tarmac in Philly until they were sure the tornados had passed. Mark’s plane took a couple of really sharp turns to avoid the storms on landing. An eventful arrival, to say the least!

 We had such fun, exploring, relaxing and just getting to enjoy each other’s company. Unlike most couples, I guess you could say we honeymooned before the wedding.

I included an extra page protector in with this week’s spread. There were just too many photos and too many memories for the standard 2 page protectors to be enough. 

This is a shot without the extra page protector, and the next shot includes the extra page protector.

Most of the photos in the 6 x 12 page protector were from the wedding. There were so many photos from this week that would have been great in here but, there is only so much room.

As an aside, I have been playing with paper and having fun scrapbooking pictures from the wedding. I realize though, that there are so many little stories from the week that I want to share. The stories that go beyond the photos. I think they take more time to tell. I can’t wait!

Here’s a look at the spread. You can see the extra page protector and get an idea of how it fits into the entire scheme of the album. 

I am really enjoying the process of documenting our life, well, mostly my life, on a daily basis. I know that when Mark and I are finally living together we will look back at this time remembering how hard it was to be apart and all the little things we did for each other to make it just a little more bearable!

Weekend Reflections

I love a long weekend. Two days just seems a little too short, especially this time of the year. As I have mentioned before, as a single person, I find it very difficult to manage the inside work and the outside work. But, on a three day weekend, time abounds. I even have time for play which is a blessing!

This weekend I made considerable headway in the yard. The weeding is mostly done and the beds are nearly clear of debris and leaves leftover from the fall. Another 6 bags of weeds were placed out by the curb as well as another large pile of branches and a trash can filled with branches. Here’s hoping that they are picked up tomorrow, my poor mailman will have a difficult time getting to my mailbox if not!

I still have about one more load of branches to dispose of and there are a few more weeds hiding out between the maple tree and the patio. Those can wait for another day!

I was also able to clean and purge a bit inside the house. The car trunk is packed to the gils with items to take over to Goodwill and books to head to the library for donation.

My paper receptacle is full, mostly scrapbooking magazines that I have purged from my shelves. I still need to figure out where to place all of the ideas I tore out of those magazines, but I will leave that for another day.

I was able to catch up with my Project Life. I was a photo printing fool today. Look for posts this week catching up. Next pages to share are from the week of my wedding!

I scrapbooked. Boy, did that feel good. I couldn’t wait to start playing with paper once I received my new kits on Saturday. Most of what I used was older stuff, found treasures as a result of the purge.

I think the highlight of my weekend had to be the BBQ I attended at the house of Jason’s dear friends, Ako and Brittany. What a great time! It was so nice to meet the parents of Jason’s friends and so much fun to catch up and just have time to spend relaxing with others. 

As I sit and reflect on my weekend I am feeling really good about what I accomplished and how I chose to spend my time. I love my yard, especially when it is cleaned up and looking well trimmed!

This is the beautiful view from my chair in the yard...

I just love the roses - but I notice they could be trimmed just a bit! I decided to rest instead!

Now, to be honest, I am a little behind schedule in terms of getting the inside of the house straightened out, Mark arrives on Friday and that only leaves me three days to get my act together. But, as I have stated before, I have a difficult time managing both the inside and the outside work. One of them always suffers at the expense of the other!

{Create}

Busy day, busy day. So much to do, but an early start, early for me that is, allowed for some time to create and it felt really good.

This layout had been sitting on my kitchen table waiting for inspiration - today I decided enough is enough, added a little bling and called it done. This is a layout from Cathy Zielske’s Design Your Life class at Big Picture Classes and I just love using large pictures on a layout. In this case, the photo includes everyone in my family that was at my wedding. I love the way Jason and Jessica actually frame Mark and I. The first little photo captures me placing the ring on Mark’s finger. I like that we have a photo of that!

I really loved the first layout I did like this so I decided that I would make another that focused just on Mark and I. I can’t believe that I am using green cardstock, but it really seems to work. Perhaps I am softening on my attitude about green? The little circle tag at the top says, “I want the fairytale.” This was part of a set of tags that I ordered from Ormolu a while back. I am blessed to be living my own fairytale so the tag is perfect!

This layout isn’t finished but I think that finishing it will include lots of stamping so I will save that for another day.

I realize now, in looking back at the layouts I’ve created for our wedding, there is very little journaling included. I need to be sure that I take the time to journal the story of our wedding. I don’t want to lose the little details that really made the day special. But for now, I am just happy that I have been able to take the time to “create”. It feels good and helps to keep me grounded.

Treats for Me

My tutoring sessions have just about finished up for the year. I have one hold out. I think I may be tutoring that little one until she’s 14 - we are very attached to each other! 

The end of tutoring also means then end of my pocket money. So, I did something for myself. I treated myself to a couple of new scrapbooking kits. 

I know, scrapbooking supplies are probably the last thing I need but, I have a wedding album to complete and the January kit from Scarlet Lime, Vintage Love, seemed the perfect compliment to the album I have already started. And, to top it off, it was on sale. Gotta love that!

I cannot wait to do a few more layouts with the photos that I ordered from Scrapbook Pictures a couple of weeks ago and these supplies.

The other kit I ordered was from Elle’s Studio, their first ever project kit! The final product is a mini album entitled, Savoring Summer. Since I will have this summer off and it will be the first summer I actually get to spend with Mark, I thought this little album would be perfect to capture the memories. 

The best part of shopping at Elle’s Studio, is the care they take in fulfilling their orders and the presentation of their products. Just look at what I got today...

The care that goes into the packaging of product from Elle’s is terrific. It is like receiving a present! I have ordered from Elle’s Studio before, mostly tags and paper products. Little things to spice up my pages but perhaps with the start of project kits...

As I said, I really do not need anymore scrapbooking supplies!

Sweet Springtime

Flowers are those little colorful beacons of the sun

from which we get sunshine when dark,

somber skies blanket our thoughts.  

~Dodinsky

Images from South Philly

When we planned to get together on Tuesday evening we didn’t realize that almost all the restaurants in South Philly would be closed. So, we headed to an old favorite, Sabrina’s. Good food. Good company. A perfect spring evening to capture a meal outside, catch up with friends and take a photo or two!

 

Project Life, Week 15

Week fifteen, finally. It was the week of Jason and Jessica’s birthday, and it started on April 9th, which was the date that I had married Jason and Jessica’s dad. Jason’s annual dinner party was on Sunday, the 10th and his actual birthday was on the 11th. Jessica’s birthday was on that Friday, the day before I flew to North Carolina for our wedding.

I think that I am going to need to add an additional page protector for more of the photos from Jason’s party - so many good shots. 

Jason’s party was definitely the highlight of the first part of the week. I made sauce, lasagna, and got ready for the big day. Naya and Howard were there and so many of Jason’s friends that I hadn’t seen in a while. It was such a great day.

It was a busy week. A trip into Philly for a graduation recital on Monday and a quick visit with Jason and Kristen before heading back on the train. Tuesday and Wednesday passed in a blur. Wedding presents in the mail, tutoring and getting ready to travel. Thursday a trip to Philly to see Bunkey who was still in the hospital and then a speedy drive back over the bridge for the science fair at school. My little first grade buddy had a display and I really wanted to be there to support him. He was so excited because he bought me a wedding present - a beautiful crystal wedding frame. I will miss him!

Friday, another whirlwind of a day. Jessica’s 24th birthday! I cannot believe my baby is that grown up! There was a surprise engagement party at school organized by my students, complete with beach theme and a bridal bouquet. A mani/pedi and an impromptu dinner out with cocktails. No packing occurred that night! That was not good.

As I look back through my album, I love that I have taken the time to work on Project Life. This has been a remarkable and eventful year and in some ways, a very ordinary year. It is nice to reflect on the days that have passed and the memories of my time with Mark bring me great comfort while we are apart.

Notes from a Marriage - One Month In

Well, to be honest, I don’t really feel married. My life has not changed. Well, except for the occasional wedding card in the mail and the opportunity to scrapbook wedding pictures, my life is pretty much the same. That makes me sad. 

I knew it wouldn’t be easy, living apart. But somehow, 2,826.80 miles, just seems further now. So I spend my moments remembering, planning, and attempting to move forward. I try to focus on the positive, not my strong suit, and I look forward to the time that we can be together.

This is us, facing the world together. Moving towards being together. Hopefully one day soon, living together. Baby steps.

Empty Nester

Yesterday was not a good day. Oh, outside it was fine, inside it was lonely. Too lonely. But I got through it, mostly by watching the bird drama hatching in my yard. After all, I had my baby cardinals to keep and eye on, and that nest with the combination of eggs, serious drama unfolding. Then, today, look what I found. Yup, an empty nest where there were once baby cardinals.

So I researched and I discovered that the babies will usually leave the nest in 10 days. My babies were not that old, I am worried. I hope they are alright. 

My next stop was the nest in the butterfly bush, there is yet another egg in the nest. What’s with that?

I have no idea what’s going on with this nest, but it is turning into quite the Peyton Place here.

I found this mushroom nestled under the roses and since I was down on the ground I decided to try an capture the roses from this angle.

I love my yard in the spring! I just wish I had more time to play in it. Well, perhaps next weekend I will!

Something Fishy

is going on with the birds in my backyard. Yesterday I discovered a nest with a robin’s egg and a cardinal’s egg, and today there was another robin’s egg in the nest. 

First I noticed this from the upstairs bedroom window. The picture above is taken with my little point and shoot because it has a telephoto option. Then, on my way out to the supermarket I took a closer look and yup, there they are!

I did spend a great deal of time watching my yard today, too sore to do much of anything else. I noticed that the bird sitting on the eggs is a chubby little grey thing.

Not at all what I expected a mommy robin to look like. Then I noticed the cardinal dad...

He stops by the nest and keeps an eye on my yard. The mother cardinal is beautiful. She has the most dramatic plumage that I have ever seen on a female bird and her coloring, while not nearly as bright as the male cardinal is eye-catching.

While I was cleaning up the branches in the yard I accidentally spooked the mama cardinal and got a close up look at the babies. They are getting a bit cuter.

At least now I am not afraid that they are dying. They seem lively and hungry enough!

There are a few other nests in my yard that are really well concealed and I am thrilled that there is so much life in my little yard. Such a joy to hear the chatter and singing from the birds as they negotiate their days.