Chick Chatter

Playing catch up...

Whew. I haven't stopped by in a while, but things are back to normal this week, so here I am.

I was in Hyannis, Massachusetts March 15 through the 18th for the Crop on the Cape. I had a wonderful time and met lots of scrapbookers, and even a few husbands!  I did not have time to explore the area, but as I was driving back to the airport, I decided I couldn't leave without seeing the ocean. It was beautiful, but cold.

Heading to the beach was pretty spontaneous for me, but I am glad I did. I wish I could have stayed longer...but I was very anxious to get home to the boys.

At the airport in Boston, I was held up in security for 30 minutes because I had paper punches in my bag.  They went through my photos and everything. I thought it was funny, but I did start to worry that they would take my punches away!  Brent (Mr. Chick) was afraid that anyone in my pictures was going to be placed on a watch list, but I think everyone passed inspection. I guess the security team is not made up of any scrapbookers.  Then, when I was getting off my plane in Dallas, a flight attendant followed me off the plane to tell me she loved my shirt and my Thirty One bag.  You never know where you'll find a scrapbooker!  Which shirt did I have on? What happens at the crop stays at the crop!

Last week (the 19th through the 23rd) was Spring Break, so I took a few extra days off to spend with my kiddos. It rained all day, every day, until Friday, when we finally got to see the sun!  We had to be creative due to the rain...all the fun stuff we had planned required us to be outside. We went to see The Lorax on Wednesday, and that was fun, but still inside!

On Friday morning, we went to Chick-Fil-A, which was more exciting for me than the kids. The local restaurant opened the day I left for Massachusetts. I love Chick-n-minis...they are my favorite, and up until last week, you couldn't get them in Wichita! The boys humored me and said they liked the food, but they were really just anxious to play in the play area.

 

 

They were at least happy enough to smile for photos!

I did manage to fit in some quilting and scrapbooking during the break. I'll show you what I worked on soon!

Christie

These are a few of my favorite things...

Can you hear the song in your head? I am not talking about raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, though...I am talking about some of my favorite scrapbook tools and organizers. I haven't been able to tell you about them because I haven't had a place to send you if you want to buy them.  My sweet friend Bethany is a Creative Memories Consultant, so she set up a website and now I can show you the things I love!  Bethany is a great customer of ours, and has been super supportive of us over the years. When she said I could do a virtual party, I decided I should try it out. The company has changed a lot and has some really great new stuff. One of the new collections even has bling!

Here are the things I must have to scrapbook:

I have used the Creative Memories Personal Trimmer faithfully for around 12 years. I have replaced it once, to get the new design when it came out. I use it to cut all my photos. I know that I could use my larger trimmer, but I just prefer using the personal trimmer. It works better on photos than my regular trimmer, and I love the drawer below it. I can keep adhesives and inks there and always have them handy!

I also love the Creative Memories corner maker.  It was the first corner rounder I purchased when I started scrapbooking. I love that it is easy to use...I never line the photo up wrong and make a mistake, and I also like the size of the corners. 

My photos have been stored in Creative Memories Power Sort boxes for years. These boxes are fabulous! They make photo organization much easier because the smaller boxes (that go in the larger box) can easily be labeled and moved, either for a crop or to reorganize your photos. Plus, now the boxes come in a pretty pale blue color!

This is my favorite storage case to take to crops. I am actually taking it to Massachusetts today! It holds tons of paper and supplies, and has pockets to keep all the paper organized and in its place. I have mine full of projects for the coming weekend. The best part is that these are on sale for only $29 this month. That is a great deal, because they are normally $47. 

I also love this cute Daisy File Mate paper holder. Mine is empty right now so that I can fill it with layouts I complete at the crop.  I wouldn't think of taking an empty paper holder so that I could fill it with purchases! Wink, Wink.

There are also lots of great products that are discounted this month from CM...I have my eye on some of the Power Palettes that are 30% off. That is a great deal! There are also lots of other specials too, so be sure to check them out.

It wouldn't be a party without favors (a box of goodies from me), so I am going to give some away! How do you get a favor? There are a few ways!

Comment here with your favorite Two Chicks Designs t-shirt slogan. It can be old or new...but it has to be something we have printed on a shirt before!

I will draw one winner from the comments, and we will have two winners from people who place online order through the party. If you place an order, be sure to put in "Christie Welch" as the person having the party so that you are entered for the prizes. I promise they will be very fun! If you have questions or problems ordering, leave a comment here or visit Bethany's Facebook Page. The party is open until the 19th, so place your orders by then to be entered for a prize!

Happy Scrapping!

Christie

A Step in the Right Direction

I have organized my scrapbook room, so now I am gradually trying to get the rest of the house more organized.  This is not normal for me, so it's a slow process!

We don't have a huge house...we have an average house, and it is older. That means we don't have a mud room or a specific area for putting coats, backpacks, jackets, lunch boxes, and the other paraphranalia that come with school age children. Last fall, I found two fun hooks with the boys initials and hung them on the wall behind the back door (the door from the house to the garage). It has been wonderful to have a spot where the boys (are supposed to) put their coats and backpacks.

The problem was that Mr. Chick needed a spot too. Mr. Chick is in charge of the bill paying at our house. He always has a small pile of the bills for the month. There is not a problem with having a pile...the problem is that the pile tends to be placed either on the kitchen counter or on the shelves of a built in cabinet in our dining room. The pile drives me crazy because it's not where it's "supposed to be" but there has never been a spot for the pile, until now.

Last weekend, I was on a mission to find new living room lamps, and I came across just what we needed to eliminate the pile! It fits perfectly above the boys hooks, so now everyone has a spot for their stuff. Everyone but me...but I am working on that!

The hooks are from Anthropologie (purchased a year or two ago and finally hung in November) and the organizer is from HomeGoods. Every time I walk by this, I do a little happy dance in my head to celebrate not having bills on the kitchen counter!

Organization is a process for me, but I am getting there by taking small steps. You can do it too! Think of something that drives you crazy at your house. What is it? If you need help figuring out what to do about it, comment here and we will work together to come up with some solutions!

Christie

Packing time!

I am leaving tomorrow to attend the Crop on the Cape. I am excited and nervous at the same time! I hate leaving Mr. Chick and the kids, but I am excited to have a scrappy weekend with some very fun ladies!

I have been planning what to pack for quite a while. The first thing I planned was, of course, what I am going to wear! Here are a few of the things in my suitcase:

These Live Inspire Create fleece pants are my FAVORITE! They are super soft, super comfy, and fun. They are made from a burnout fleece, so they are even softer than a sweatshirt. I wish I could wear them every single day. Really, I would if I could. I am also taking the Live Inspire Create Hoodie that matches these pants. It's also super cute, and I consider hoodies a crop essential!

I think many times scrappers are so excited to go to crops, they forget to pack appropriately. The key is comfort, and layers. Remember that there will be a room full of women, and that it is impossible to have the room the perfect temperature to meet everyone's needs. I have been hot at crops, I have been boiling hot, I have been cold, and I have been frozen. I think once I was just right, but I have forgotten when and where that happened! My point is that you want to have a short sleeve shirt, a long sleeve shirt, socks, a sweatshirt, and anything else you think you might need to stay the right temperature. The people in charge can't help it if the temperature is out of whack so I try to plan accordingly.  

Now, you know that Two Chicks Designs had hundreds of different t-shirts. I have no idea how many...but I do know that at this event, I will be wearing several of them!   

My "what happens at the crop" shirt will be the first to go in my suitcase. It's my favorite.  As an added bonus, it is black, and therefore easily hides ink when I drop my ink pad in my lap. Not that I do that, of course, but just in case. It will also conceal drink spills and any other crop-related incidents that are potentially embarrasing.

I will also have my Keep Calm and Scrap On shirt. Whenever I start to worry about how I will ever figure out how to finish a page, or where I will ever find the perfect embellishment, I will remind myself: "Keep Calm and Scrap On. Keep Calm and Scrap On."

Finally, I am taking my Love 2 Scrapbook shirt. I am sure you know why!  It is heather grey, so it will also hide any unfortunate scrapbook incidents. At least that's what I tell myself. I'm hoping to be very graceful this weekend, but I'm not holding my breath!

I will of course take more than this, but I wanted to share my favorite items to wear. I will take my Holy Scrap pants, and some cute scrapbook pajamas too!

Guess what? All of my favorite items, including what I am taking to the crop, are on sale this week in Christie's Favorites! If you like the sweats, this is the week to buy them. They are on sale for the lowest price ever, and they won't be this price again for a long time...I promise!

Christie

Photo Organization: Step 2

The other night, Mr. Chick helped me sort photos. Yes--he helped sort! I was very excited.  The best part was when he said, "Wait...you aren't documenting this. Let me take a picture."  He took a picture. 

Today, when I was finally ready to blog about step 2, I downloaded photos from my camera. Mr. Chick took one picture of the process. Just one, and it's at the top of this post. If I were taking the photos, there would have been at least 10.  Maybe if I left him in charge of all the photography I wouldn't have such a problem organizing my photos. I am pretty sure if he was in charge I would have 95% fewer photos!

Back to organizing. Once my photos were sorted into piles by year, I split them into the events and subjects that I plan to scrapbook.

First, determine how you want to sort your photos further. Think about things that have worked for you in the past, and also things that haven't worked.  I am not using my storage binders because they didn't work for me before...don't go back to a system you have used in the past if it did not work for the way you scrapbook! The way to decide is to think about how you scrapbook.  Here are a few ways to sort your photos:

Chronologically: If you scrapbook everything in order, you definitely want your photos to be stored in order. You can sort them by season, or by month. If you are super scrapper, or doing Project Life, you can even sort them by weeks and days.

By subject: You may have photos you want to sort based on the subjects (frequently these are the subject for future layouts), such as Christmas, Zach's birthday, trip to Colorado, and so on.

By event: Birthday, Everyday, Halloween parties, trips to grandparents, etc.

By time period: This is especially useful if you are sorting lots of heritage photos. You can sort by the stages of an individuals life. For instance, you can sort all of the photos of your childhood together, and group all the photos of your mother's childhood as well.

Hybrid: I use this term to define the way I sort my photos.  I combine all the ways listed above, and some not listed too, when I sort pictures. I will post a more detailed explanation of how I personally sort my pictures soon.

Decide which method of sorting works best for you. Begin sorting in that method, spending 15 to 30 minutes sorting when you have a chance. Don't require yourself to spend too much time sorting or you will quickly get sick of it and quit. Tackle one stack of photos at a time.  That makes everything much more maneagable. 

Don't hesitate to throw away photos that you know you will never scrapbook.  Again, don't hesitate to throw photos away. This is a weird concept for scrapbookers! I know that we order lots of photos and intend to scrapbook all of them, but the truth is that we usually don't scrapbook every photo. If there are photos that are not essential to the story you are telling, and they are not a great photo for any other reason, go ahead and toss them.

I have found that it is easier for me to purge photos once I have things broken down into the pages I want to make. I will have a stack of 20 photos for a layout, and I only use 5 or 6. The rest either find their way to the trash can, or into a box of photos that my niece and son scrapbook. I don't mind if they cut up or mess up the photos because I was going to toss them anyway.

Remember that you can do this!

Make Something Monday!

Yesterday I told you my secret and my decision to actually scrapbook last night. Here is the evidence that I did actually scrapbook.

My little guy when he was 2. It is amazing how fast they grow. I know we all say that, but it's true!

Backyard fun

Neither of these layouts are particularly fabulous, but they are layouts, made by me, with pictures of my kiddos and journaling. For me, right now, that is enough.

Did you make something Monday? Send me pictures and I will post them on the blog!

Christie

Scrapbooking S.O.S.

Do you want to know a secret?

I have spent the past month and a half organizing my scrapbook room, my supplies, and my photos. That's not a secret. The secret is that this weekend I intentionally set aside some time to scrapbook. I told Mr. Chick that my goal on Saturday was to do some scrapbooking. I thought if I told him I was going to do it, I would actually do it.  I had time on Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday.

Guess what?

I didn't scrapbook. I think I am nervous about scrapbooking. How crazy is that?

Since 2009, my scrapbooking, while using pictures of my children, hasn't been for me. Once you have a store and kits, you give up the opportunity to scrapbook what you want to scrapbook. At least, that's what I did. I spent the past 3 years scrapbooking for business. I used the latest collections that I needed to sell for the store, or the paper that had been sitting for several weeks without a single sheet selling. I trained myself to scrapbook quickly, and to scrapbook what other people wanted to see (or what I needed them to see and buy). I scrapbooked without pictures all the time, because if there aren't photos on a layout, it's easier for people to visualize what the layout will look like with their own pictures. In fact, I have stacks and stacks of layouts that are waiting for photos and journaling. That is all they need.

Tonight, when I get home, I will have 500 photos waiting for me in a box from Shutterfly. I will get 500 more tomorrow. I am attending a crop this weekend, and I am actually supposed to have time to scrapbook while there. I will be taking my photos and scrapbooking whatever I choose to scrapbook. I just have to convince myself I can do it.

Normally, when I get photos, I separate them into piles based on the different layouts I plan to make. Then I find a sketch that I like, choose the supplies, and make the layout.

Here's my plan: I am going to go home tonight and I am going to make 1 layout before I go to bed. I am going to do it. I know I can...and I have to get over my "hump". From now on, Mondays will be "Make something Monday." I challenge you to do the same thing tonight...create something. Anything. It doesn't need to be perfect or spectacular. It just needs to be done! Then tell me about it. Let's encourage each other to scrapbook! I'll post a photo of a completed layout tomorrow morning!

I'm a Boy Mom

I’m a boy mom. There. I said it. I am a boy mom, and I love my boys to pieces. Zachary is 6, and Andrew is 3.  I should note that in addition to my husband and two sons, I have sweet girl dog named Bailey. When she pees, she lifts her leg. Just like a boy dog.  This is my life and I love it, but there are still a few things about being a boy mom that can occasionally drive me crazy.  

You may be thinking it isn't possible for these two angels to drive me crazy. Ha. You thought wrong!

1. Noise. There is constant noise at my house, unless the boys are gone.  I have always treasured silence, but as my boys grow older, quiet is a distant memory for me.  I hear all kinds of noises: airplanes, cars, crashes, Legos hitting the floor, shouts from Brent after he steps on Legos, crying, screaming, snoring…they are even noisy in their sleep.
2. Dirt. Boys play rough and they get dirty. If the weather is nice, there is a pile of dirt and sand wherever the boys take off their shoes. The bathroom is horrible…I have dreams of a mom-only bathroom where the toilet doesn’t look like it was used for target practice.  Right now, that’s not in the cards so I will keep the Clorox wipes handy.  Before children, I could clean the bathroom weekly and that was enough. Now, I must clean daily if I want things to be neat and orderly.
3. Weapons. I know you may be thinking, “If you don’t want them to have weapons, don’t buy them.”  While this is a great thought, boys turn anything and everything into a weapon. Wooden spoons are excellent swords.  Cardboard rolls, whether they are from paper towels, wrapping paper, or decorator fabric, are always swords.  I frequently search for the ties to my robes because they are used as either weapons, or ninja props.
4. Ninjas.  Up to a few months ago, I would have proudly told you that my boys weren’t into ninjas.  Because this was once a source of pride for me, the boys have decided ninjas are cool.  We love Legos, and Lego created Ninjago, so now we love ninjas too.  Drew is three, and he can tell you all about the Ninjago ninjas and what they do.  Ugh. Those ninjas will get you when you least expect it!
5. Nerf Darts. They are everywhere. This weekend, we were doing some cleaning and rearranging of furniture. Underneath every single piece, we found Nerf darts. Every single piece. At any given time, I am positive that I could locate a nerf dart in every room of my house. They seem to multiply like rabbits. Thank goodness they aren’t painful when you step on them.  And thank you to Nana and Grandma Peg for keeping the boys supplied…I don’t know what we would do without all those darts.

Now, I know I have complained just a bit, but I love my boys, and I love being a boy mom.  I love it when I get home from running errands and Drew asks me to sit and watch a movie with him. I love when Zach says that he “missed his best mom” when I am gone. I even love the first three times they ask for drinks, or making pancakes for them at 3 in the afternoon.  I know there are some other boy moms out there. What are your pet peeves about being a boy mom?

Photo Organization: Step 1

I have tried for years to keep my photos organized.  I have taken Stacy Julian's Library of Memories class 3 times, and I still have boxes and boxes of photos.  The class is wonderful, and it is the basis of how I am sorting everything. However, I am definitely putting my own spin on my photo organization!

I have tried the concept of "storage binders" but they don't work for me. A storage binder is a photo album where you store photos that you have printed and intend to scrapbook.  Here is a storage binder that I filled last time I took Stacy's class...it's still full of photos because if I don't see the photos, I don't scrapbook them.

I love Stacy's system, but unfortunately it doesn't work for the way I scrapbook. It IS a great way to organize...but it's not the best way for me. That is the key to any organization: you must organize in a way that works best for you. They way your best friend stores her spices may be easy and seem perfect, but if it doesn't fit the way you cook, think, and organize, it won't work for you!

Last night, I went down to my room and spent about 45 minutes sorting my photos. Now, before you think I am superwoman, please note that I ONLY sorted photos taken since 2005. I did not do anything with photos from before I had the boys. If I did come across an old photo, I put it in the pile for older photos, and it went back into a box full of photos I am not ready to tackle yet!

I started with these piles of boxes, binders, and bags.

Note: I found several more boxes as I sorted. Oops!

To do my initial sort, I separated the photos by year. I didn't worry about months and days, just the year. I made piles for 2005 through 2011. I don't have any photos from 2012 yet, so that was one less pile. If the storage bider had photos from that year, I simply put the binder in the appropriate pile.

When I was finished, I was overwhelmed with the large number of photos I had that weren't scrapbooked. I definitely have some work to do. However, I did notice as I went through my photos that many times I had photos left over for events that I had already scrapbooked. Next time I sort through photos, I will have to decide what to do with these extras. For now, they just went into the piles by year.  I will say that I only had a handful of 2005 photos, probably because I scrapbooked all of Zach's first year. I only wish I could say the same for the rest of his years! :)

Now it's your turn...take 30 minutes or so and begin tackling that stack of photos you have.  Start small and break it into manageable pieces. Don't worry about unprinted photos...focus on the photos you have physical copies of.  I will be back tomorrow with the second step. You can do this!

Christie

A Few of My Favorite Layouts!

I have been working on reorganizing my scrapbooks in addition to my room, and I came across some of my favorite layouts. Here are a few that I just love!

I have said it before and I will say it again...I think this layout is one of the most important ones I will ever make. I plan to redo it every year (or more frequently if I get with it!) for each of my boys. I love looking back at the silly stuff they said at a certain time in their lives, and I know that someday their own children will enjoy seeing what Daddy said when he was a little boy! Both this layout and the "Cute as a Button" layout use my favorite boy collection. Here is a link to the collection.

 

Echo Park - Little Boy Collection - 12 x 12 Collection Kit
Scrapbook.com

I also think it's important to be real in my scrapbooking.  I used a great picture of Andrew, but I still journaled about the fact that he causes trouble and gets very mad at times. I don't want to look back on this time and pretend everything was perfect! I love him just the way he is. :)

This is a favorite layout because it was a funny day. Brent's dad, known as Papa, likes to let the boys play in the water during the summer. On this day, for some crazy reason, he thought it would be safe to hand the hose to Drew. Drew was 3 and knew exactly what he wanted to do...Papa squirts him with the hose, so he squirted Papa!

Let me know if you like the layout posts...I will keep them coming if you do! What layouts are the hardest for you to create? What are your favorite layouts?

Thanks for stopping by!

Christie