Oh the weather outside is frightful! 

I just love this photo of Sam from 2016. I knew that after seeing the Winter Puffy Stickers and the Let it Snow stamp from the December reveal, I wanted to document this moment in a 6×8 double page spread.  

This page is about one of the most memorable snowfalls in Toronto. At the time, I took baby Sammy in a sled to pick up his older sister from school. I just love that 4×6 “Winter Snippets” card from the December 2018 Monthly Kit and I used it to tell 4 facts from the day.  

Is that a blue, purple and teal winter colour combo? Oh my!

Just like my previously layout, I have been waiting for a specific set of products to document our 2016 Family Day excursion to Niagara Falls. I am a huge fan of purple and you don’t often find purple snowflakes on journaling cards. I loved that multi coloured snowflake card in the December Kit.

Also I heart those puffy stickers 🙂 Like usual, I added this durable embellishments to create a visual triangle. I add some fact and feelings journaling to three, 3×4 cards and called it done!

I love the non traditional winter colour schemes in both layouts. Elle’s Studio Kits are on sale now! Thanks for looking!

Are you feeling the magic of the season??

This month I used the November kit from Elle’s Studio to create two Christmas themed, 6×8 double page layouts. Documenting these layouts, has made me really really excited for the holidays. I may have started to listen to Christmas music! Ha!

I used the red labeled card to tell the story of the annual Hunter family gingerbread bake off. I first recorded this story in my December Daily project, but decided to add more details and include it in my daughter’s story album.

I loved layering the wood veneer snow globes, this season phrase stickers, red Jane alphabet stickers and various die cuts from the monthly kit on my photo. I just love that red!

As soon as I saw the green “Good Cheer” card from the November kit, I knew I wanted to document the story of baby Sam at Christmas.

I use the green label card to record Sam’s growth and development. My goodness, he looks so small in these photos!!

I then cut up green papers from the Merry & Bright 6×6 paper pack to create journaling cards and layered die cuts from the monthly kit. I really love the greens, blues and whites in this kit.

Such a fun monochromatic layout! Are you in the mood to scrapbook the holidays??

Thanks for looking!

I can’t enough of little boys “driving plastic cars”!

It’s June 10th which means that the new monthly kit from Elle’s Studio is now on sale now! Inspired by the vibrant color in this month’s kit, I choose to use cobalt blue, green, yellow and orange for this layout of my son, driving his plastic car.

The color combo was inspired by top 3×4 journaling card. The “Fun in the Sun” card is from the printable collection which you can buy here. Both cards have a simple modern design and reflects Elle’s fun and play aesthetic, which I love!

Using the journaling card as inspiration, I mimicked the color in the tags, by clustering them together here…

And here! Placing tags on top of photos is one of my go to techniques these days!

Thanks for looking!

Is is popsicle season yet?

Here is a quick peek at the layout I created for Elle’s Studio using the May Monthly kit. The kit is now on sale and can be purchased here.

I wanted to document the story of my girl selling popsicles over the long weekend last August. I saw the yellow journaling cards and knew that I want to pair them with the photos of Rowan in her purple shirt. Its an unconventional colour combo but I like it! It use the “girl” stamp from the Title Builder Vol. 2 stamp set and those awesome spring puffy hearts, which are apart of this month’s add ons.

Looking forward to more popsicle stands this summer!

Thanks for looking!

On today’s special “on the road” episode, Jess talks with attendees and organizers of the June 2017 Ali Edwards’ Story Camp. Held on Friday June 2 and Saturday June 3, 30 attendees and 9 creative team members traveled across the US and Canada to Eugene OR. This once in a lifetime opportunity / small memory keeping event was organize by Ali’s right hand woman, Katie Jaeger. Over the of the weekend, Ali taught three classes which include sessions on design and storytelling. Enjoy the reflections on the weekend that was!

Listen Here

On today’s roundtable I am speaking with Ali Edwards, Brandi Kincaid and Pam Baldwin about all things Week In The Life! In this conversation we chat about streamlining our process, how a project like this can help you reflect on the life you want to live and how to be “successful”. This is a great conversation for anyone interested in completing an intensive project like this.

Enjoy the show!

Show notes:

Ali’s 2017 Prep Post

Jess’ 2010 Week In the Life Album

Jess ‘ 2012 Week In the Life Album

Jess’ 2016 WITL Photos & Words

I heart self timers and cooking in the kitchen with my girl

During Ali Edwards’ February Story Kit main presentation,  she asked the viewer to think not only about the people we bond with but also the places  that are close to our heart. For me, bonding with Rowan in the kitchen over the weekends seems to be apart of our regular routine. I loved baking with my mother when I was young and I am so thrilled to share this with my girl. Here is the full view of my layout:

Although I am the family documenter, I don’t always get in the photos. Maybe you can relate? Ha! I could have easily made a page about Rowan and my dad, but this month, I wanted to challenge myself a little. Although the photo is blurry, I still love having the details of this story documented.

Speaking of that blurry photo, it also matched the navy journaling card that came in the kit. Combine it with the other orange and white journaling cards in the kit and my design scenes are tingling!  Here is a closer view of my journaling cards:

Do you bond in the kitchen? If so, who with?

Happy Weekend!

On today’s roundtable show, I speak with Jen Chapin, Crafty Jen Schow & Tracy Banks about their experience creating process videos. Whether you are new to process videos or are looking to enhance your skills / equipment, this conversation has something for everyone.

Enjoy the show!

Show Notes:

Jen Chapin’s Youtube Video

Jen Chapin’s Favourite Video

Crafty Jen Schow’s Youtube Channel

Crafty Jen Schow’s Favourite Video

Tracy Bank’s Youtube Channel

Tracy Bank’s Scraproom Video Tour

On today’s show, I am speaking with the articulate and artistic, Pam Baldwin. Working as a nurse in Hamilton ON, Canada, Pam lives with her husband Brett, and two kids, Liam and Emily. Currently Pam creates for Ali Edwards Design and teaches the online workshop, Text Tricks at BPC. I love Pam’s breath taking work and how she balances her heart felt stories with clean design. In our conversation Pam discuss how interest influences her scrapbooking process and her love of typography. Pam also opens up on she documents motherhood and the messy stories that don’t often get told. I loved chatting with a fellow Canadian!

Enjoy the show!

Shownotes:

6×12 Tough Layout

12 x 12 Tough Layout

6:11 AM I’ll love you forever, my baby you’ll be. This little person is growing up fast. All moms say this, I know but part of the reason, I will always make time to complete #weekinthelife is to document growth.

8:02 Fun fact: As soon as breakfast is done, I put on my jacket. I do this most days just to make sure when it’s time to go we can leave the house. It’s silly and I am often sweating by the time we head to school but it’s just one more thing, I check off my to do list in the mornings.

8:49 AM One of my not so great traits is that I can be indecisive. This is especially true when it comes to getting myself and the kids dressed in the morning. Add in a week long photo project and confusing weather patterns and I become a stressed out mama before school drop off. Good thing Rowan doesn’t mind being dressed in head to toe rain gear when it’s hot and humid. The reason she likes it? She gets to jump in muddy puddles.

9:00 AM With a flat tire in the blue car, Aaron takes the black car to work. This means I will walk to meet a friend for lunch. Good thing the rain is going away! I am looking forward to the walk. Fun fact – I walk more than 8 km today!

10:40 AM Early and we found a spot in the back at the Lazy Daisy cafe. Sam is taking this advice literally as he is taking his morning nap in the stroller.

11:01 AM Someone wakes up and discovers the train table by our chairs. Sam is in love. I see more of this in our future.

11:41 PM Catching up over brunch and coffee.

2:51 PM Sam is still sleeping and we are going to be late for pick up. I hate to wake him, but it must be done.

3:49 PM Off to Eds Real Scoop for a cool treat. This is  a Friday tradition with out kiddos and mamas group. Rowan has strawberry and I get raspberry / coconut. Sam loves both.

5:31 PM WE are at home and having too much fun playing. As I wish for someone else to make dinner, the little man figures out how to open the shutters. Needless to say he’s pretty excited.

6:01 PM Dinner prep. BBQ tonight.

6:21 PM Running in and out to check on dinner. It’s busy but I am relaxed. Charlie try to sneak out the door. Hoping Aaron arrives home to enjoy some of this!

7:15 PM I love Fridays and after dinner dance parties. Tonight we deviate from our normal routine. We divide and conquer putting the kids to bed.

8:21 PM She is done by Fridays. We let her watch some Paw patrol before bed. Ten seconds after snapping this picture she cries and has a bit of a meltdown. This is typical and we know its gonna happen. C’est la vie! As Aaron puts her to bed, I clean the kitchen, loading the dishwasher. I head upstairs to blog and watch some Netflix. I am tired, so I head to bed early.

Friday Reflection

Today is the first day that it has felt like summer. Minus the rain in the morning, the whole day was sunny and somewhat humid. From walking to school drop off, to walking to meet a friend for coffee, to walking with the moms / kiddos to get ice cream, I spent most of my day outside. To me, summers can be pretty magical. As a child, I got to spend summers at home with my mom as she worked at our school. On some level, I realize that this will be my last time I will have an entire summer off until I retire. Pretty crazy when you think about it that way. I want to enjoy the rest of my maternity leave and soak up all these little moments I have with my kids.

Gratitudes

1. I am thankful for birkenstock sandals. If I could only wear one pair of shoe for the rest of my life – these would be it.
2. I am thankful for new traditions and the opportunity to watch other kids grow.
3. I am thankful for a change of pace.

Favourite Moment of the Day

Jess: Being outside, soaking up the sun with my kids and friends.

Week In the Life Intention 2016

To capture the fullness of our life right now