vivaterra

I'm not sure how I was signed up for emails from this company, but I really enjoy their products. Most everything is recycled and/or eco-friendly.

http://www.vivaterra.com/

there's not enough caffeine in the world

...to keep up with my two year old. My days are spent chasing him around, picking up whatever he is currently destroying. Does this count as cardio? And when he's not on the run, he's glued to my legs. Thankfully, when Jim gets home from work, Eli is all about Daddy, so I get a break, and Jim wears him down playing. Most nights, he goes to bed in his own room, but even then he ends up in ours at some point in the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes sooner.

At this rate Eli certainly won't be getting a baby brother or sister anytime soon. But it doesn't really matter, because this "terrible twos" phase is the best birth control on earth.

links

Stampin' Up: an invaluable resource for stamping supplies.

Bake It Pretty: my go-to site for fun and unique decor when baking for a special occasion, and...well...just for fun.

Smile Box: design your own scrapbooking layouts, e-cards and invites, and photo slideshows, all in a free downloadable application for your computer.

converting the crib

We recently converted Eli's crib to a toddler bed. It's SO cliche to say, but it is really true - it goes so quickly! It feels like I fell asleep and woke up two years later. But every new phase has its perks.

It's been a week now since we converted the bed, and it also marks a week of Eli NOT napping. This is not one of the perks. But he gets really excited about bed time now, and lays right down, gets cozy, and drifts off. This is a perk.

Last night, for the first time, I went into his room and he was on the floor. He'd slipped out apparently at some point. I just picked him up and put him back in and he fell right back asleep. Then, at about 2:45 am, I was woken up by Eli standing at my bedside. He said, "Mom?", and I about peed myself. Scared the crap out of me. But he wanted in our bed, so I picked him up and laid him between Jim and I and he snuggled up and fell right to sleep. I have to admit, I kind of loved it. It took me awhile to fall back to sleep because Eli was moving around a lot, but once I did, we both slept comfortably until this morning.

Jim told me before he left for work, that he was woken up a couple times by Eli kicking. I figure that's fair since Eli kept me up kicking for most of my last trimester.

Payback is sweet :)

recipe cards

I've been given several recipes over the years, and even with the most amazing recipes, the recipe card itself was always very plain. So I designed my own:



Standard recipe cards can be either 3" x 5" or 4" x 6". I chose the smaller size, because it best suited my needs. After you've decided on a size, choose a color scheme. I chose pinks and browns.



Helpful Hint: To get a variety of designs within the same color, opt for the smaller sample pads of cardstock, usually 6" x6" or smaller. The size is much closer to what you need, meaning less waste, and you'll get a lot more variety for your money.

Cut a variety of 3" x 5" (or 4" x 6") cards out of your card stock. These are your backer cards. Then print your recipes on contrasting card stock. I used a standard package of 8 1/2" x 11" mottled pastel card stock, available in any office supply store. Make sure to print the title and ingredients in one section, and the directions in another (adjusting the font based on number of ingredients and length of directions), and then cut them out separately and adhere them to opposite sides of your backer cards. It's very important to make sure you leave enough space on both sides of your text so that when you cut it out, the width will match the width of your backer cards. Here is what they should look like when you're done:



And there you go! Simple and easily replicated. For some additional little fun touches, I bought some notecard dividers, and printed categories on white labels:



I also created a cute little title card for the front:



And to house my cards, I bought a fun little notecard box from an office supply store:



If your recipe collection is too large for a small box, an easy (and very attractive) solution is to buy a larger, clear notecard holder. That would not only house all of your recipes, but people could see your beautiful handmade cards right through the box.

This project might take a little time, depending on how many recipes you have, but these cards will not only be beautiful, but also be durable and last :)

invites

Here is one of my designs for simple hand-made invites.



There are five basic parts to this card: the backer piece, the printed piece, the vellum cover, twine, and of course, the envelope.



When printing the actual text on the card stock, I use the column feature in Word to separate my page into two columns, and then print the text twice in each column. This makes getting an even border when cutting it out a lot easier. I also prefer to use scrapbooking fonts, although handwriting invites can add a nice personal touch if the handwriting is clear and neat.

Your backer cards and vellum should measure 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".

Helpful hint: Each 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of card stock and/or vellum makes four 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" pieces, when cut down the center both ways. And these cards fit perfectly into 4 1/2" x 5 3/4" envelopes - a standard size carried by craft and stationary stores.

Trim the printed card stock to a slightly smaller size than the backer card. This will reveal a nice border of contrasting color. I prefer to use Zots to adhere the printed piece, because it gives it some depth. Then cover with the vellum (do not adhere), which not only looks nice but also protects the printing. Tie it all up with a piece of twine and it's ready to be put into the envelope and mailed!

The best thing about this design is that it can be adapted for various occasions, just by changing the color scheme and vellum cover. Having a fall wedding? Just coordinate the shower invite colors with the wedding colors:



Or say you're making baby shower invites. Change your color palate to pastels, and use blue or pink ribbon in place of the twine.

The possibilities are really endless.