Some "digital" scrapbooking

I have had three scrapbooking tasks on my to do list for a while now. As of today, I can check them off (plus two bonus ones)! Yes, I am totally procrastinating finishing my dissertation. I keep telling myself this is how I work best.

1) Make a 6x6 layout of pictures from my in-laws' Solstice party to put into my December Daily album. This is the very last page I have to do before the album is complete. DONE!


2) Make the 5x7 Beginnings layout for my One Little Word album. DONE!


3) Make a 6x12 layout so that I can print another 6x12 layout I made a year and a half ago. Put the two together to print as one 12x12. DONE!


4) Make the 8x10 February photo collage for my One Little Word album. DONE!


5) Place all of these as a single order at scrapbookpictures.com. DONE! (And even managed to get it in before their sale expired!)

Penguin quilt

I mentioned in an earlier post that I am planning to take on three quilting projects this year. Here is a preview of the first one -- a penguin quilt for the baby.

The pattern I am using, Penguin Party from the book Confetti in the Corner:


Fabrics for the front:


Fabrics for the back:


So far I have started cutting the fabrics. No assembly yet.

Organizing Paper Clutter

I have a lot of paper. Scrapbook paper, paper associated with my dissertation and research, paper reminders, paper mail, unidentifiable paper stacks, you get the idea.

Over the past two years, I have been trying to get this paper under control with many many thanks to Aby Garvey at Simplify 101. Aby offers an online course on how to organize your paper clutter (the next session starts today!) and it has been a huge help to me to figure out why I have such a problem with paper and what I can do about it. This is the best (short) summary of what you learn in the class. I am enrolled in this latest session, my third time through it, because each time I take it I get further and further through my backlog. We will be moving some time this year, and I don't want to move all this paper, so I am taking it this time with the hopes of significantly reducing the volume of paper I have. Wish me luck!

One Little Word Blog Hop for March

Hard to believe it is March already! I am participating in the One Little Word Blog Hop again this month and wanted to thank Margie for getting me in to the list at the very last minute! I emailed her at midnight last night and she worked some magic and got me into the rotation. That makes me last on the list, so click over to Margie's blog when you are done here to go full circle (or start the hop from the beginning). A big thank you to Cindy also for linking me in to the hop so that I could participate.

My word for the year is embrace, and our February prompt from Ali Edwards was to take pictures of things that remind us of our word. I took two photo walks (something I never do!) to scout out possible inspiration and found myself drawn to circles (encircle is a synonym of embrace).

From my photo walk in Vail, CO: Wind mobiles


From my photo walk in Charleston, SC: a logo for a weekend festival. I liked that it had the year along with the circles.


Some other photos from my Charleston walk can be found here. My favorite photo is by far the one of the older couple on the boardwalk.

I also found my word in my internet surfing and took screenshots - that counts as a picture, right? : ) These shots come from a blog post which can be found here. The first one is from the text of the post and the second is from the comments.




This month I also made the cover for my album:


And took a class on Embracing Imperfection at Big Picture Classes - how perfect of a title! I took this screenshot from the handout as a reminder to myself to embrace my imperfections : ) I took the advice to heart and made 3 scrapbook layouts this month!


I am trying hard to be mindful of my word in my daily life. I find that it is making me calmer and that I am having an easier time of handling things as they come. That's a good thing!

Here is the complete list of bloggers participating in the Hop:
1. Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com
2. Monica B http://scraplifters.blogspot.com/
3. Jill http://jillconyers.typepad.com/
4. Miranda http://mirandasscrapsite.blogspot.com
5. Donna http://www.donnabryantdurand.blogspot.com
6. Lynn www.crafty-creativity.blogspot.com
7. Stacey http://www.TheAcornGarden.com/blog
8. Lisa http://backtoallen.com/writers_blog
9. Cassie http://craftycassiescorner.blogspot.com
10. Abbey http://athomewiththerichardsfamily.blogspot.com/
11. Nicky http://seejanebake.blogspot.com
12. Holly http://lovingrobots.blogspot.com
13. Karen http://breathenowsmile.blogspot.com
14. Claudia http://creative-moms.com
15. Rebekah http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com
16. Kimberly http://foreverdaisies.blogspot.com
17. Kat www.katswonderings.blogspot.com
18. Kristina http://ciqis.blogspot.com
19. Jan http://mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com
20. Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au/
21. Amanda www.scrappnbee.blogspot.com
22. Lisa http://luluoz.typepad.com
23. Sam http://learncreatedo.wordpress.com
24. Maureen http://cookingmylife.blogspot.com
25. Kristi http://theprojectofme.wordpress.com
26. Tere http://terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com
27. Karen http://womenontractors.blogspot.com
28. Katrina http://k84mansramblings.blogspot.com
29. Monica Bergler http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com
30. Mandy http://captureandcreate.wordpress.com
31. Lisa http://makeyourownescape.blogspot.com
32. Chrissy http://getcraftywithchrissy.blogspot.com
33. Lee http://linarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife
34. Jen www.byjen.com
35. Sylvia http://baxtersmom1.blogspot.com/
36. Christianne http://christiannemarra.blogspot.com/
37. Cheri http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com
38. Joy www.undiscoveredjoy.blogspot.com
39. Beth http://justbebeth.wordpress.com/
40. Jennifer L www.studiojenn.blogspot.com
41. Kathryn www.katlodesigns.com
42. Heather www.scrappyhare.blogspot.com
43. Cindy http://seriousplay.typepad.com
44. Cynthia http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com/

One Little Word in photos

Our task for my One Little Word Class this month is to take pictures of things in the world that make us think of our word. Here is what I came across today.

Embrace the Basics


Embrace each other

Two new layouts

Two new layouts this week! (Actually 3, but I decided not to post the third for privacy reasons.) I am feeling uber-productive!

#1) LSA annual meeting
I was inspired by this episode of the Paperclipping Roundtable to create a layout about my work. This layout is about the linguistics conference that I attend every year and some of the highlights from this year's conference.

I have had the lined patterned paper for a while, along with cardstock in coordinating colors, but was waiting for the "perfect" topic and finally decided this was it!

#2) Having fun with paper

I was sifting through the pile that is growing on my workspace and came across some stickers that I saved from a kit I received from Studio Calico. I decided it was now or never -- use them in a layout somehow or throw them out. I made this about how I am inspired by Studio Calico kits, saving 2 stickers to use on it and tossing the other 2. I used this sketch (also from Studio Calico) and entered it in their Sunday Sketch Challenge! Fingers crossed for a giftcard :)

One Little Word blog hop

Welcome to the One Little Word Blog Hop!

My word for the year is embrace.

I want to be better about embracing the projects I undertake and getting them done without too much agonizing and perfectionism, so I decided to participate in this blog hop to give myself a deadline for the January assignment from Ali's class. I don't totally love the final result - the mix of papers isn't quite right - but I am EMBRACING it as is. Maybe I will change them up, maybe not, for now I am calling it good enough.

Our assignment this month was to look up the definition of your word, its synonyms, a quote that included your word, and to explain why you chose it. The linguist in me loved this task! Here is what I did:



I think the quote is my favorite part: "It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."
-- Alan Cohen

The participants in the blog hop are all in the class. Next up: Kathryn!
Here is the entire list if you want to see who else is participating:
1) Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com
2) Jill Conyers http://jillconyers.typepad.com/life_as_i_see_it/
3) Monica http://scraplifters.blogspot.com
4) Lynn W http://crafty-creativity.blogspot.com
5) Miranda http://mirandasscrapsite.blogspot.com
6) Mandy http://captureandcreate.wordpress.com
7) Kathy http://katswonderings.blogspot.com
8) Lisa http://makeyourownescape.blogspot.com
9) Donna http://donnabryantdurand.blogspot.com
10) Abbey http://athomewiththerichardsfamily.blogspot.com/
11) Sam http://learncreatedo.wordpress.com/
12) April http://capturethememories.blogspot.com
13) Nicky http://seejanebake.blogspot.com
14) Rebekah http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/
15) Relly http://rel.ly
16) Nancy http://goshery.blogspot.com
17) Cynthia http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com/
18) Kathryn http://katlodesigns.com
19) Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au
20) Heather http://scrappyhare.blogspot.com
21) Gayle www.lifeonlilypadlane.blogspot.com
22) Kristina http://ciqis.blogspot.com
23) Debra http://blakleyhomeplace.blogspot.com
24) Becky http://beckyandjames.com
25) Amy http://reflectivesnapshots.com
26) Marlene http://moore-fun-in-the-sun.blogspot.com/
27) Maureen http://cookingmylife.blogspot.com
28) Cheri http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com
29) Monica Scrapmom http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com
30) Jan http://mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com
31) Junelle http://yesandamenblog.blogspot.com
32) Margaret http://www.gutsymom.blogspot.com
33) Sharyn http://www.analteredlife.com
34) Tere http://terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com/