Friday Thoughts and Hearts A-Plenty

I often get to the end of the week before I get to the end of the to-do list! this seems to be one of those weeks. I had wanted to:

• go to Ikea to buy a bookshelf, wall shelf and kitchen rail system to finish organizing my scrap space
• get a start on taxes
• alter my clipboard and sort my digital photos before LOM started
• bake some banana bread (the bananas are WAY past redemption now)
• revamp my website (yes, it needs it and I haven't posted anything to if in a while)
• clean my bathrooms

None of these things got done. I am always amazed at how busy my days are being a SAHM yet, how little I actually get done. But, some things we DID get done this week were:

• cleaned up and organized toys, clothes and party supplies after the birthday party
• took Sam to the ABCH for a check on his StarBand and a growth adjustment
• got some portraits and passport photos taken of the boys
• took mom out for lunch and a visit
• started Library of Memories class at BPS and all the photo organization that goes with it
• got to meet my good friend Wendy for a mid-afernoon coffee
• about 12 loads of laundry
• got valentine treat bags, cards and tags made

Not too bad after all. Sigh...there is always next week to try again!

But there is a long weekend ahead and I am looking forward to heading out for supper for Valentines Day and doing something fun on Monday, which is the Family Day holiday here in Alberta.

Speaking of hearts and Valentines Day I thought I would share some heart ideas...

Here are the Valentine treat bags and heart tags we made for Grayson's dayhome friends. First I punched out several double tags with my CM Tag Maker. I placed the folded edge of the pink paper just inside the cutting edge of the punch so I would get a folded, "double" tag.

Then I punched several hearts using CM's new Sweet Heart Maker. The nice thing is you get two hearts with one punch...the lacy, large outer heart and the funky, smaller, solid heart. I adhered them onto the outside of the tags/cards with a little liquid adhesive.

Then I used a cute Valentine stamp from Kolette Hall (Michael's) on the inside and wrote our little message.

Then we popped all the treats into little heart bags we found at the dollar store and tied on our tags. Cute, easy, cheap.

Next up - I love these Little Debbie "Be My Valentine" cakes. They look like fancy little petit four cakes eh? But they are in the snack cake aisle along with the Twinkies! Shhh...dont' tell anyone and they'll think you are a baking genius.

And finally, have a look at these adorable little heart paper clips.

They are regular clips, but it's all in the way you bend them. Check out how to make them here. Brilliant!

Hope that gives you a few heartfelt ideas just in time for V-Day! Hope you have a great one!

Happy Scrapping,

Noreen

5 Random Things

Just a bunch of random stuff on this windy and dull Friday.

1) I redid the old blog's design and spent WAY too much time on it! But I learned a lot and it will be so much easier to change it up the next time. I found lots of online resources for free templates and tutorials. The new banner is called Vector Dreams and it makes me so happy just looking at it! Two other sites I found with fabulous blogger friendly templates are Gisele's and Lena's. I'm sure I will be looking there again the next time I have the urge to change.

2) I haven't posted any layouts for a while, so here are a couple of digi layouts I did recently using two kits from a new manufacturer called Marks Paper Company. I really like their product lines:

"He Loves Me" by Noreen Smith. 12 x 12 digital layout. Storybook Creator + Software - Creative Memories. "Old Fashioned Courtship" kit - Marks Paper Company.

"Grow in Love" by Noreen Smith. 12 x 12 digital layout. Storybook Creator + Software - Creative Memories. "August" digital kit - Marks Paper Company.

3) Happy Mail! I love to get packages in the mail - it makes my day. Recently I received TWO packages full of happy. This one:

from Big Picture Scrapbooking in anticipation of the upcoming Library of Memories class. (Uh...have I mentioned how excited I am about this one yet???!!!) I must go and alter my clipboard before the class starts in 2 weeks.

And this one from Creating Keepsakes/CK Media:

WOW...can you believe what I got? And CHEAP I tell you! Check out CK's Clearance Centre for some great deals. Even with the exchange rate and shipping to Canada I spent less for all of this than what I would have spent here in Chapters/Indigo for just a few of them. I found the clearance centre by chance when I was ordering my Project 365 kit. (Yes I was one of the lucky ones who actually was able to order it. It hasn't come yet, but that will be a VERY happy package!)

4) Speaking of Project 365...I am pleased that I have been able to keep up with it. I am enjoying focusing on trying to capture one image from our lives each day. I have been posting them in my Flickr gallery and have been doing my journaling using these digital downloads so that when I get the kit I will just have to slip it all into the page protectors! Are you doing some version of Project 365? If so I would love to hear how it is going after one month.

5) Finally for today...a reminder of the GIVEAWAY!!! In honor of one year blogging I am offering some blog candy to TWO readers. Make sure to comment to the post below before midnight MST January 31st! (So far your chances are very good!!!)

Have a great weekend and happy scrapping!
Noreen