Rainbow Shelves

One of the best features of our apartment is the built-in bookshelf. I decided to arrange the books by color when we first moved in. Obviously, I have a thing for rainbows. It has accumulated junk and toys over time, but Avinash is interested in the color system and groups all his stuff by color too. It is a fun way to get him to organize his stuff in the living room and is something I should probably try in his room too.

I also got this cute pitcher vase from Ikea for the tabletop. It is kind of rustic, which isn't really our style, but it works because of the white I think.  The cheap knick knacks at Ikea and Target always get me.

And, I still have up this Tray from Target on the kitchen table, with these cute glass tea light holders in blue and red. So, naturally I stocked up on tea lights at Ikea. 

 

 

****CHECK OUT MY NEW ORGANIZATIONAL PROJECT: CHALKBOARD SHELVES****

Oh my.

Almost three years ago we were here:

 

And, there we were again tonight:

 

 


Oh how much has changed, but not really. I love that fire and joy in Avinash's eyes when he was only one, he still has that.  I remember feeling so much love for him that night, and with Nandini the feeling of love in our family has only grown.  It took her a little longer but now she is holding our fingers and walking everywhere too. We are struggling with her weight gain now like we did with him. Instead of oversized Janie and Jack outfits, he dressed himself in a (well fitting) Avengers t-shirt and put his shoes on the wrong feet. 

Project Life - Summer Afternoons

We had a very laid back week this week after getting back to Texas and trying to recover from our trip and get ready for Ryan to leave on a long business trip.

I included pictures from Nandini's head shaving the previous Sunday too. I had a lot to write about too, but I had to fit that in on the opposite page. Avinash helped put on the thickers on bottom left card.  He only wants to spell his name. I don't think he's learned any new words in at least a year.
I had to use the you can go your own way stamp for Nandini's walking picture.  She is nothing if not independent.

It also rained a lot this week, which meant snails crawling all over the patio.  Avinash loves the shells and I have been trying to show him the creatures living inside them. At least I got to use my frogs & snails & puppy dog tails Studio Calico stamp (and it is 50% off now!).

I struggled finding stuff to fill the horizontal slots this week. I used this Hey Day journaling card paper because they work in both directions. More Hey Day paper, this time in pink, to mat the photo of Nandini with her new doggy. Love the Elle's Studio cutouts for little journaling spots.
I made the die cut Nandini frame a while ago. Added a little more dimension with the kraft rose.
The printables are from In a Creative Bubble and One Story Down.

Blowing bubbles outside on the patio weather permitting. I used an index journaling card and a flash card cut from this patterned paper. There are lots of other cute cards on the sheet I can use.  Always feels like a good deal compared the price of a pack of cards. Or, so I tell myself.

I am still one week behind, but I am going to post the last week that I did to motivate myself a little. Ryan was out of town, so this week was crazy, but we actually did a lot. Starting with a play date at our house, a trip to the beach and a visit to the circus the day Ryan got back (I stayed home because, in all honesty, I was just too exhausted to come along-choosing to not feel guilty about that).

 Where I struggled the previous week, I actually had fun this week. Going to a crop with my friend Viji didn't hurt of course! The back of the Hey Day paper was used a lot. I backed the index card with another one of the same size for symmetry. Love the semi-open window it creates. Nandini's face covered in chocolate was too funny.  I have scrapped her with a cupcake, cake and now cookie.  She definitely has a sweet tooth (despite being under weight).

I stamped a little banner on another piece of the SC journaling card paper. Love the alphas on that stamp too.  I used these really fun chipboard thickers for the title. Can you spot the old Sassafras stuff?
I used a few Everyday Eclectic stickers on these beach photos.

 One of my favorite parts is definitely the circus tent card cut up.  It is a party invitation and is available at Target. Love the rainbow colors too with the yellow/orange/red washi and turquoise thickers. So funny that Avi was scared of the clowns still but Nandini wasn't. 

 

 A random outing for coffee and muffins, but one of my favorite cards of the week. Pink airmail and lime woodgrain washi with naked chipboard.

 More beach pics. Avi's BASF science experiment at the Houston children's museum from Monday.  Want to go there every week until the summer ends.  A random bubble picture and a note about our Target toy clearance shopping.  It was actually quite the effort taking both kids to such a big sale by myself, but I should be set for most birthday parties at pre-school this year.  I basically filled every nook and cranny of the car with loot.  And managed to only open two bigger things and one small thing for them. 


I used that new Basic Grey stamp again in dark rust for this title.  The card is another In a Creative Bubble one that I had embossed earlier with this SC set.

Nandini looks a little crazed here, but her expression was just too funny not to include.  This banner title pretty much summed up her feelings. 

 

I got my hands on some new Echo Park and typed a little journaling on the card.  I love the graphic feel to the collection.  Normally, I find photo-realistic papers a little cheesy, but these really work.  Plus, the beach scenery in Galveston isn't great, so I liked having the option.  It also matches perfectly with old Hambly and is the nicest quality Echo Park stuff I've seen.

 Linked up with The Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday.  The PL kit I am using is the Clementine kit. Thank you so much to everyone in this wonderful community. I love all the feedback and looking at everything people do each week. It definitely keeps me motivated.

enjoy the ride

Isn't this a great color palette? It is the current Color Me Scrappy Challenge and I decided to play along. Luckily, I found everything I needed in SC's Elmwood Park. 

Avinash looked beyond adorable on his trike at my parent's house. I could scrap the pictures over and over again. The stamp is from a few month's back and the perfect thing.  Embossed the tag with red glitter Zing and found a place for my journaling.

I painted a little malted milk on the cardstock and adhered a long strip of scrap vellum. I double matted the photo in green airmail and red graphic pp. The hexagon was a leftover die cut piece from another project.  I'm such a hoarder I know, I always try to reuse die cut scraps.

I know that yellow isn't in the challenge, and these weren't from the kit either, but I just love this font.  And, any excuse to use those adorable wooden bikes, right?

Vacation Pages

 A double pager to start.  Her wedding color was blue and it worked with all the beachy pictures, so I used that mainly. Felt so different to do something more adult and polished. I am always at somewhat of a loss for double pagers.  Using four sheets of cardstock made it easier. I added a couple strips of patterned paper, one leftover strip of color magic misted in yellow, a bit of washi and flair.  These gold thickers feel so elegant and slightly less girly than most things I use.

Of course a smattering of wood stars doesn't hurt either. I like sticking them directly on the photo too sometimes. 

This page was inspired by Lillith Eckels. Love the little triangles, mine are cut from washi tape and just stuck on. The title is sort of random, but I think she is just the most radiant bride. Used those gold thickers again. I really wish I could machine stitch on paper, because it would make the triangles look fab in a hanging garland sort of way. Oh well.

I took the back and just pasted some random shots with a few die cuts here and there. The right side is another back of a layout. I did them quickly, stuck it in the album and moved on.

I had to do a page about us being on a vacation alone for the first time since early 2008. Avinash even hijacked our Italy trip in utero (one day after we found out), making it impossible for me to consume anything with tomato in it.  Not easy when one is in Italy okay!! The shot of this layout is blurry I know, but I really like this page and I'm too lazy to pull it out of the album to reshoot.  It is pretty simple. A few patterned paper layers, some stamping and journaling stickers.  I think that Amy Tangerine green paisley sticker sets off the whole page. 

I used my silhouette for these waves. I misted them after. The photo is matted with a scrap paper I had die cut previously, vellum and some grey polka dot paper. The die cuts are an old pink paislee pack called Nantucket or Cape Cod maybe. Very appropriate here. I made that journaling spot with a JBS stamp.  I loooove the way it turned out.  I used an anthro bowl to trace a circle.  I used the negative of that cut to stamp on some cream cardstock, then I edged it with yellow chalk ink.  I love the finished look that stamping through a circle gave it.  Yay! Never ending supply of journaling spots in any color are now mine!

I put all these layouts together in the back of my Hawaii album which I never quite filled up. How about you? Did you scrap any summer vacation photos yet and what did you do with the pages?

I am linking up with Layout Love today. 

Rakhi Is Chocolate

 

We did puja today for Ryan's father and then did Rakhi with Avinash and Nandini after. Getting everyone showered and clearing one section of our house always takes longer than you think.

I tried to take a self-timer shot of us.  I love how Stitch is the only one ready to go here.

And then we just callously knocked him down.  I like you can see the twinkling lights and flower garlands hanging over the window here.

After I took down the camera, Nandini scooted over, picked it up and gave it to me.  Then she scooted back over in her Dada's lap and posed for a picture. Sweet girl.

Avinash gave us all tika in the beginning. I helped Nandini put some on her brother. I just used some twine I had to make their rakhis. She gave him her hershey kiss (I'm out of burfi, ok?). He gave her a hug and promised to protect her, but not before stealing the last kiss and shoving it in his mouth a'la his mammaji.

 

They both really enjoyed drinking the water more than anything.  He did give her a new baby doll which she loved and covered in kisses right away. I think I may show them the Rakhi episode of Sesame Street tomorrow morning. Not sure if what we tell them sticks, but Elmo seems to have lasting influence at least. Hehee.

Project Life - I Spy

This week we were still at home at my parent's place. We had two pujas for Nandini, lots of catching up with old friends and one more wedding.

I used a lot of bits from this month's SC kit (Elmwood Park) and some of their die cuts. I also made a few hybrid cards with some One Story Down kits I got to play with.  Making my own cards is one of my favorite parts of the process, along with using up my stash and stamps. This week also turned out very red again.  The theme for July I suppose?

This page started with the back of this red chevron bag showing throw.  My inner thrifty self/hoarder delights in a two sided element getting double use that it otherwise wouldn't in a layout.  I added a wooden frame to a post-it I used for journaling. I don't always get a chance to pull out my camera when friends come over to visit, but I still like to document it. I added a lot of regular pictures around it, no collages or funky cropping.
Avi let one of his helium balloons go in the middle of our foyer, and asked me to climb up to get it. I may have posed this picture after he asked me. Love these arrow post-its for journaling on. 
The bottom two sides are square instagram prints matted with patterned paper and the same Martha label sticker for journaling. The dance card is Target Ikat stationery.  I can't even find ikat scrapbook paper, Target is always so on trend (Hi Every Manufacturer, I have enough hexagons to last a lifetime, thanks). And, some teal airmail washi tape just because I feel my spreads could always use a little more washi tape. 

 I paired a Basic Grey subtle patterned paper with this bold red OA b-side that I die cut the title out of.  The for sale sign (using green sticky keys stickers) for their iced tea stand was just too cute. Even if the girls didn't share any of their coins with Avi (half of which were from me). I added a gratuitous red bicycle just for extra color and texture. For symmetry I added more washi. The yellow vintage ticket stub washi is from Freckled Fawn and new to 2peas.  It is hands down one of my favorite tapes ever.  It has a great texture and is just that perfect yellow. I am also dying over this math washi tape, I can't wait to get it!

Avi took that top picture of the priest and I couldn't be prouder. His picture series of the folding chairs didn't make the album.  It is super nice to have someone else taking pictures once in a while.
I used this pink airmail paper to make a few die cuts.  I suppose you could just call it striped, but I am still obsessed with airmail. On the stand! card I added a few old PP die cuts, a new BG tag and notebook paper letter stickers. The jewel and heart pin add some nice texture here.
I wrote her name in Hindi for her naming ceremony, so I figured I should include the Hindi on one card here too. I layered different OSD papers to make the card. I stamped the subtitle in teal chalk ink. Teal+red, yum!
Below that is a picture from one more temple visit. I embossed grey cardstock with gold glitter. So glad I got this SC confetti stamp. 


 I like to include totally random pictures and stories when I can. So in addition to Nandini's ceremonies and standing up, I added a card about my dad's office and one about telling secrets. 

I had to use this word bubble post-it for all their 'secrets', ha! I used more OSD paper for this background and the journaling spot. Love all the pink on this page.

 A random story about visiting my Dad's office with Avinash. I used grey letter stickers, a Chap tag and some ribbon from my SC kit.  Always excited when I can figure out a place to use some ribbon.





 Linked up with The Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday.  So excited to see Kayla Aimee guesting there this week.  I always love her spreads and have missed seeing them of late. The PL kit I am using is the Clementine kit. Thank you so much to everyone in this wonderful community. I love all the feedback and looking at everything people do each week. It definitely keeps me motivated. And, please, link me up to any of your inspiring pages this week as well in the comments!