december daily {days 18-25}

first, let me say, I've loved doing this album.  It was definitely a challenge for me & I was really excited that I completed it.  Next year, though, I'm going to simplify for sure.  Photo a day.  I found that as soon as the rush of all the Christmas to-do's hit me {school parties, wrapping, last minute holiday whatever & kids home} I basically just had to drop it & wait until after Christmas to complete it.  I really wanted to include more in those last days, but it would have just been too much for the book {plus I was just ready for it to be done}.  I'm planning on layouts to tell a more complete story of our Christmas Eve & Christmas & also want to make a mini for our Elf, Jessie & his daily happenings.  So anyway, here it is...

12.18.11

on this day I dove into wrapping. of course I had a little "helper" too.  I added in a page I made from a brown lunch bag, which was what I used for a lot of our wrapping.

12.19.11

on this day, Evan's class had a gingerbread house day {his teacher has been doing this with her class for years... it's so much fun}. I went to help him out & loved what we created together :)

12.20.11

on this day I was in gift-making mode.  the kids' last day of school was the next day {which included Christmas parties} so I HAD to get the teacher gifts made! I didn't send out too many actual cards, but wanted to include the card I had sent out & the photo of the kids I had included in them somewhere in the book, so this is where it ended up.

12.21.11

on this day, there was so much going on! seriously if I included it all, it would probably be 6 pages... Christmas parties, babysitting, Christmas concert & best of all... grandma & grandpa came home!  The photo of Evan & my mom is priceless... he was SO excited to see her!  The back of the page is a folded program from Evan's concert with his name circled.  The concerts/plays at our elementary school are always the best.  We are so lucky to have an incredible music director!

12.22.11

on this day we did tons of baking & making!  Lydia had been asking me constantly about making cookies for Santa, so that's what we did!  I was messing around with a few things for this page on my Silouette sd.  I cut the from banner, but it didn't cut all the way through, so I just peeled away the letters & included it anyway :)  I also made the cookies for santa title that I made up with a font on my computer. 

12.23.11

this was a not-so-happy day. although it was my moms birthday, we also spent the night at my aunt Betty's visitation, who had passed away a few days before.  on the upside, it was great to be able to see all of our family.  I included 2 pictures I captured while we were visiting of Lydia & Collin with cousins we don't get to see too often.  this was the reason my parents made the trip back from Texas as well, which was a major bonus for us as well, as we weren't planning on getting to spend Christmas with them this year {which would have been a first}.

12.24.11

I always have LOVED Christmas Eve... for as long as I can remember, it has been when my family celebrates together.  We start with mass, then supper & then PRESENTS!  We've changed it up over the years a little, but it still is my favorite.  Again, this one could go on for pages & pages, but I kept it super short.  The day started with my aunt's funeral & then went onto church with Dan's dad & then fun with the Klesner family at my sisters.  Then home to get ready for Santa!  The picture is our tree that night after Santa had made his way to our house... :)

12.25.11

on this day... it was Christmas!  Since we've had kids, this is our day to spend together at home.  It always starts with the kids waking us up at the crack of dawn & excitedly ripping through stockings & presents. This is followed by a homemade breakfast, lots of assembling, playing & relaxing. This Christmas we did something new & had Dan's family over that night for supper.  It was great to get everyone together, with his family in all different directions, it's nice to be able to see everyone & have a relaxed time to visit.

done.

{robyn}

family twenty eleven

most of you that know me, know that I've been a paper scrapbooker since around the time our first son, Collin was born, about 12.5 years ago.  Then about a year ago I switched pretty much completely to digital. Well, now with creating a few paper lines here & there for My Mind's Eye, I've caught the paper bug again.  I've been working on my December Daily {updated photos to come soon... if the sun ever shines here again!} & so I've been picking up supplies here & there.  I also re-subscribed to get the Studio Calico monthly kits, which I always love.  Today, I really wanted to complete a paper layout... just to make sure I still knew what I was doing ;)  I started off with one of our family photos that my sister Carol took just before Thanksgiving. I used parts of the Studio Calico December kit, some of my Kraft Funday, & some other misc goodies {some of my digi designs even made an appearance}

as you can see I sorta went crazy with another new "supply" I picked up a few weeks back... a sewing machine!  I've been an admirer of stitched pages for a long time & I'm really loving it!

ps {ple

StudioCalico Brooklyn Flea	Kraft Funday Patchwork Party	Everyday Fun Admit One	Mischievous Creepy Celebration
Everyday Fun Borders	Everyday Fun Chipboard	Happy Days Brads	Everyday Fun Buttons
Happy Days Stamps	Emma's Shoppe Collection	Fun&Festive digital papers	Cool Kid Digital papers
Epson Premium presentation matte

InLinkz.com

scrapbook inspiration via Pinterest

so I'm a total pinterest addict, which I'm sure anyone that has an account is. the problem is, although I've used some recipes, ideas, etc from the things I've pinned, I really want to make more use of it.  so I decided, I'm going to try to make one layout a week inspired by my scrapbooking inspiration board.  starting today... here's the layout I was inspired by...

by Kelly Purkey

and here's my version...

{sources}

hopefully, you'll see a new inspiration each week from me... I think this should be fun!

{robyn}

September Instagram

I know it's already the 18th of October... but it seemed that September flew right past me & I haven't caught up yet!  Anyway, here are just a few of my instagram images from the month of September.  Lots of things going on, like Lydia starting preschool, homework, cross country meets for Collin, playing baseball outside for Evan, a Cardinals game, babysitting our great-niece, receiving new product, lots of playing outside & working around the house...

proud fan{s}

I remember growing up spending time at my grandparents in the summers & some of the best memories were watching St Louis Cardinal games with my grandpa Klesner.  He was a real fan & it's funny, the way I still remember him is with his blue jeans on & a Cardinal ball cap on his bald head!  I'll have to dig for a picture one of these days...  Well, as I was growing up we watched the games on the tv here & there, but I lost touch a bit when I went off to college & married a guy that really wasn't into sports.  Over the last few years or so, our love of baseball {if only the little league variety} has blossomed thanks to a certain boy in our house is crazy for the sport.  We've been promising to take the boys to a Cardinals game for probably the last 3 years & finally this summer delivered on our promise in July when we all took our first trip to Busch Stadium & witnessed our first game in person.  It was unbelievable.  We've watched on tv, but there is just something about being there, the crowd, the excitement of seeing the players for real on the field... I don't know what it was, but it was infectious.  I loved it, Dan loved it & Evan was is awe the entire time {Collin, not much of a sports fan, liked the snacks! lol}.  It was so fun. 

we watched {or listened to} diligently every single game after that.  even if they lost, it was fun to watch & spend time together as a family doing something that we all enjoyed.  Then, later in the season, when things picked up for them & they were gaining ground after being 10 1/2 games back in August for the Wild Card, we REALLY wanted to go see them at Busch & get to see Albert Pujols play another time *just in case* he decided not to come back next year.  So, we scored some last minute tickets for a  mid-September day game & let the boys skip out of school.  Rain delay & all, we stuck it out & finally were able to see our Redbirds play. 

after that, the excitement really picked up & again we watched every single game & couldn't get over this team & what they could do to overcome & achieve.  They are truly an inspiration!  They gained the wildcard spot & long story short... last night, in game #6 of the NLCS they won the series against the Milwaukee Brewers to gain their 18th National League Championship {more than any other ball club}!  & you know what all this means.... YES!!! This amazing ball team is headed to the World Series on Wednesday to get their chance at their 11th World Series Championship... yep #11 in '11.  We've gained so many new favorite players in this postseason... of course we were smitten from the start with the greats like Pujols, Holliday, Molina & Carpenter, but are now nearly over the top with players that have showed their greatness like Freese & Furcal.  So, yeh, we may be sorta new fans in this house {or in my case a comeback fan}, but I've gotta tell ya, we are die hard.  I do believe Dan now knows the back stories, contracts & salaries of each player on the team! lol! Can't wait for the World Series, can't wait for next season {Dan & I have already decided we're spending our anniversary at Busch Stadium & probably Evan's birthday too}.  Bring it on Texas... it's gonna be tough, but this is the team that's ready for anything....

{source}

{source}

so, yes... I'm so proud to be a Cardinals fan.  & it's not just because they're winning & doing this unbelievable stuff.  I truly am amazed by each & every guy on this team & am so proud to have my son watching them & how they handle themselves & this great sport that he loves. 

so here he is my crazy little cardinal fan...

...& here's to hoping that his dream of being a Cardinal player someday comes true... just like David Freese :)

{robyn}