a quick card, a FREE m&t!

I am back at it with my DEstress Friday Make & Takes at Memories Live On! Tonight I will be making a super cute mini banner card using some loveley paper tapes from Bella Blvd, teeny flowers from Petaloo and super shiny glam and glitter from Tattered Angels. If you're in the San Jose, CA area, swing by from 7-9pm! As always its free and, more importantly, SUPER FUN!!!

sunshine&bunnies,
holly*

The Sampler's "It's a Wrap" Blog Hop!

Hey all! Welcome to my stop!! I have loads of projects to share... some old, some never before seen, ALL AMAZING! also, this is not even everything i created with this one kit! seriously, AMAZING!

This layout i made using my kit and the very end of my stashed Sassafras foldables (AHHHHHH!). I really like using neutral/monotones on a single layout. The floral and sickers added just enough color but really let the photo stand out.

I LOVE how that peak of the Hambly overly sits against and softens this grey ledger paper. Not to mention, how it helps the layering with the stickers. Can't go wrong with a Hambly overlay!! *sniff, sniff*

The overall feel of the August2012 kit from The Sampler is a dusty, almost shabby chic look, BUUUUT... I still managed a layout for the boy and one of my favorite photos of him. THAT FISH IS SMILING AT HIM!!!

If this canvas wasn't for Pip before, it is now... that's what happens when you lick something, right? lol! 

This last layout is the layout I did for this month's sketch challenge, WHICH is still goin down! check it out!

Before you head out, don't forget to commented, liked for follow for your chance to win a great bunch of goodies from The Sampler Kit Club! 

It was lovely having you here on my blog, head on over to Amy Coose's blog to see what else has been created with the August2012 kit!

Also, have some links JUST IN CASE this wasn't your 1st stop!

 Shaunna Farral
Holly King
Amy Coose
Amy Sotolongo
Nancy Keslin

sunshine&bunnies,
holly*

keeping busy, keeping secrets

With school about to start, we've been busy just trying to get a routine together. We're not super awesome with routines... but we're doing ok... as i type this at 2am when i have to wake up in 4 hours.... ugh

. 

anywho, we have been keeping busy between running errands, making 3 meals a day for 3 people (and countless others for the littlest one, but we're not counting for her since i'm pretty much on auto pilot with her meals other than our experiments with baby lead weaning... GO BOOBS!), cleaning, CRAFTING and just getting ready for the school year to start.

Summer has been fun. It will be missed. BUT, it will be kind of nice to have more structure for all of us. We've had our fair share of melt downs simply due to the fact that the boy just doesn't know what is expected of him....

I have made a record number of projects this week. I've even photographed most of them. BUT many of the are TOP SECRET... for now. keeping my fingers crossed that its all for good reason... I do have a layout i did last night with some Simple Stories...

I LOVE this photo of the kiddos. Its not often one of both of them is captured and this one blew me away when i saw it. It definitely reminds me that TOGETHER is the best place to be.... even when we're apart. 

Have a super tuesday!
sunshine&bunnies,
holly*

all smiles, all the time.

I have a layout up over on The Sampler's blog today! Swing by for a few tips and because you love me! Ok, at least for the tips...

sunshine&bunnies,
holly*

i made a canvas for PIP!

Go check it out over on The Sampler's blog today!! Super cute and super fun! I also talk a lot about glue. You know, if that stuff is interesting to you...

sunshine&bunnies,
holly

my challenges in august2012

Here we are again. Another month and another set of challenges! How about the fun stuff first?! OHHHHKAY!

The Sampler has CARD AND LAYOUT CHALLENGES up for all to play along with! I made one of my first TRULY girlie layouts (because I have a little lady now... i should do things things? pfft) using The Sampler's August2012 kit. 

I highly recommend heading over to the post on The Sampler's blog and playing along! Lots of good ideas coming from those sketches and the other designers have made some wonderful projects too!! Really, they have!

Other challenges this month are generic "omg i have no time" type challenges. I've been trying my best to have a good summer with the boy. which is awesome, BUT causes my eye to twitch at all the unfinished projects around the house. Oh well, one more week of summer and he will be a FIRST GRADER! Very excited for him. He is looking so forward to school but very apprehensive about his behavior of all things. Don't get me wrong. We have the *cough* occasional listing issue, but all round he's a great little guy. I am fairly certain he will get off on the right foot and it will be a great year! Once we get the school year going, I'm going back to the gym (holyshitballs! i bought a 1year gym membership for $55. THANK YOU LIVING SOCIAL) this means I will have to work on giving pip a bottle (i have a HUGE stash, even after donating quite a bit, of frozen breastmilk for those wondering...) She hasn't been completely resistant to bottles as of late, but certainly doesn't take them with the same gusto she does with the breast.  go figure. Oh well, grandma can sort that one out in time...

anywho, have a great day!
sunshine&bunnies,
holly*

currently 8.18.2012

listening: sounds of husband&pip sleeping

eating: a bit of a wonderful dark chocolate

drinking: water

touching: a warm laptop

watching: Eureka... again... and again

reading: How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm... by Mei-Ling Hopgood

wearing: black linen pajama bottoms & cami... its kinda late.

feeling: excited!

weather: dark, clear & cool

wanting: a few extra hours in the day!

needing: a few extra hours in the day!

thinking: if only i had a few extra hours in the day! 

enjoying: having husband back home

looking forward to: finishing up the backyard and "craftroom" redo (aka. project "eff it, i'm taking over the garage)

have a great weekend!

sunshine&bunnies, 

holly*

currently 8.11.2012

listening: flobots pandora station

eating: a fluffy english muffin with homemade strawberry-nectarine honey jam

drinking: a lovely iced coffee

touching: husband's epic naga mouse. shhhh....

watching: a holiday episode of Warehouse 13

reading: nothing atm. need to load up my kindle again...

wearing: jeans, black top

feeling: overwhelmed but content. (because that makes sense)

weather: clear skies. slightly on the hot side. what is weather?

wanting: :my order from printstagram!

needing: time and more hands and to dye my hairs

thinking: netflix mixed up the seasons/episodes of drop dead diva (don't judge)

enjoying: a few hours to gather my thoughts and laundry

looking forward to: a drive up into oakland with the MIL to visit SIL and cutie patootie niece 

missing: my grandma and her fried chicken

wondering: if i can make grass grow. silly yard...

have a great weekend!

sunshine&bunnies, 

holly*

biggering and biggering

taking a break from expo preparations overdrive and thought i would swing by ye olde blog and post a couple layouts i did a while back but never posted.

little man is getting so big. he's not outgrowing his clothing every other month anymore, but the thoughts and ideas that come out of the boy are amazing. i really do need to get back to capturing more of his little moments again...

 for instance, the other day the boy was building a fort using the little lady's play gym. when he was done, i asked him to clean up which he did. (VICTORY!) upon completion he said "mom, this mat is now operational again".... good to know little man, good to know....

speaking of little lady, she had been nothing but completely amazing. she's been busy biggering herself as well. the past 6 months have been a complete blur of smiles and spit up and diapers and slobbery kisses...

a few months ago, a good friend of mine took some amazing photos of our squish. she looks so new still here. its great to have friends who not only love us, but have nice cameras and a good eye. :)

SIDE NOTE: best twitter feed ever or best feed ever? go forth and follow!

 have a wonderful friday!
sunshine&bunnies,
holly*

Its always nice to be where your stuff is...

Home again! It is always so sad to leave our family behind, but always so great to get back home where the routines exists (sometimes) and the laundry smells like us. After a long trip away from home, I always dream up all kinds of crazy projects to work on when I get home. This trip I was focused on our backyard (ugh), what i could make for dinner (the eternal question), christmas crafts (yay homemade!), and pintrest execution (seems to be going around the internet these days.)

The bad news: looks like, as always, I'm putting a little too much on my plate. or am I? the good news: I've already made some headway!

I was working on meal planning 1st, which happen to go along with pinterest thanks to the gobs of amazing looking recipes posted by the second. Here is a jpeg of the meal planner i half made/half borrowed from a word template.

Here is a jpeg of this week's menus. Feel free to borrow. Oh, and recipes and critiques to follow!

 The backyard has also been weighing on my mind lately. We have a very tiny, very pathetic yard. Its about 20x20ft and a train wreck. More about that in a later post, BUT I was working back there to create a family friendly space before I left. So i got to obsess create a plan of action while i was away. Here is to hoping to get the ground tilled over the weekend and plant grass the following week. then we wait. speaking of waiting, i made things grow already! never thought i was one for a green thumb, but there it is...

While in Houston I did manage to work on a trip mini album a bit. Over on The Sampler's blog i posted the beginning of the album. Swing by and check it out what's up so far! Its also the 1st of the month so that means its REVEAL DAY! August is "All Gussied Up" and amazing!

Ok, enough blogging and time to get life back to normal. Have a great wednesday!
sunshine&bunnies,
holly*