1.  Halloween Craft (in the kitchen):  We have made Christmas gingerbread houses, cookies and even a train, but this is the first time we’ve tried a Halloween gingerbread house.  One thing I noticed was that it’s harder and harder for the girls to see eye to eye on creative projects.  They each like to think creatively independent of one another and that makes for a challenging project to do together.  But we survived after a little intervention from Mom.   We started with a kit and then usually buy our own candies to add to it since the kits are always a bit limiting.  Then we also raid the cupboard to see what items might work.   (We finished tonight after school, and I need to take another photo, after finishing.  

 2.  Halloween ( Through the Years) project:  Been wanting to put this together ever since I got a box of the new Art Warehouse Harvest Moon collection and what better time than a day before Halloween to squeeze this one in….(right?  I know, nothing like last minute)  

A while back I started changing the style of my books/projects to be a little different.   I explained a little bit of that in this post, but in 10 years I don’t want to have Halloween memories in a bunch of different places, in different albums, and in a number of mini books.   So for certain things I record, I like to make one book that shows only that topic and the progression of time and change.  One of my favorite things about this concept.   (see the shell of another one here for birthdays)

So I made one of these each for the girls and numbered them 18 consecutive Halloweens.  I have a few extra pages in here in case I might just be able to extend beyond that, but Delaney assured me today that she was NOT going to be dressing up in a costume when she was 18.   (who said this would only include pictures of her in a costume?  )   I have already compiled pictures from earlier years that have been waiting for this project to compile them in and I’m glad to have this created.  It will be a breeze to catch up to speed and then to add to each year.  There is nothing we enjoy more than seeing change over time and parallels that continue to remain the same. 

I have one kid that doesn’t like anything scary in the slightest sense and one smaller one who LOVES to be tempted by the freakiness.   We have just recently added a few things around the house that cater to her love for the spook factor.  So you might be able to see that this book is somewhat mild in vibrant spookorama but I think this suits us well.  It will be filled up with princesses,  music singers, Go Go girls, Dororthy from the Wiz of Oz, angels, Pochahontas, and few kitty cats, some ballerinas and Marilyn Monroe.

I created this book from the Harvest Moon papers using the Mix and Match AccuCut die.  Love that it has so many possibilities.  It allowed me to cut all the elements of this from different types of materials including acetate, transparencies, patterned paper and chipboard.  

I will be filling it with 1 or 2 photos from each year, this swatchbook and sticker sheet and the stories that we want to remember, all in one book.

Individuals who are interested in a specific list of papers used in this project, comment here.   If you have a store near you with the AccuCut machine, be sure to ask them if they have the Mix and Match Album die.  If you don’t have a store near you with an AccuCut machine, then find one….j/k.  

I will have a limited number of these kits for sale.  Email me or comment here if you are interested.  The book has over 40 pages (20, 2 page spreads) and will run about $47 plus shipping.   If you are a store owner and would like  the basic instructions and material list, comment here and I will send it to you.   

Notes to Mom photo journals:  The other night when i was working on sorting through some of this month’s photos, I was feeling considerably overwhelmed with the month and then I realized I have taken over 4000 photos since October 1 and that was before the Halloween weekend.  Egads.   Yes, that’s even a lot for me.  However, that included a full day wedding I photographed for a friend, and our trip to Florida, each included about 1000 photos.  Needless to say, even with the systems I’ve put in place for “trying” to stay on top of my monthly projects, I am just behind and it makes me crabby with myself.  

But, one thing I have learned and I find I have to rediscover this often when I forget,  is to just “do something” photo related, even if I am overwhelmed by things like SO MANY PHOTOS and so little time. One of those things and most often the best answer to that overwhelmed feeling is to spend 5 minutes writing in  my “Notes from Mom” journal I made for each of the girls.  

I keep a little bag of photos excess photos from other projects such as our family photo journal.  When i have a photo that is just something unique about one of the girls that has a story behind it, it often gets placed in this lovely little ziplock bag (pretty fancy huh?)  It works and it’s been used, which is the best part.  

I usually like to start from a photo because if I don’t have something specific I want to say, the photo always brings out a message.   I made one of these journals from Photoworks for each of the girls with the specific intent of having a journal made just for sharing heart to heart with them, things I might otherwise not say or not get written down.  I knew that if I made a book specifically intended for this, the chances of me using it were much greater than what I was otherwise doing.  It was that little nudge to write to themm something I don’t do in our Family Photo journal or their Yearly Digital Books.  

It was one of those long term goals that in 10 years I wanted to look back and have.   So, from that, another project was added to my system, a photo journal with notes from Mom.  (I have started different journals before, but this time I knew it would work for me.  

You will see that I’m not a doodler, nor great at Creative Lettering.  This isn’t a place for me to showcase those talents or lack there of in my case.  This is merely for making sure my children know how I feel or what the story is.   Sometimes I throw in a sticker, tag or whatever might be laying on the table, if I’m working there.  I also take these with me in the car a lot, to practices, and games, while I’m shuttling kids around or even waiting in the airport.    I have a sticky note pad stuck to the front page so that I can jot a quick sticky note that says “add photo of XXXXX here.”   If there’s an excuse, I’ve given it for why in the past I have failed with other journals.  But I wanted to set this up so that I had no way out.  So now I can even write and add notes to keep me on track with the stickies.  

I find it only takes a few minutes to get something meaningful recorded.  Sometimes I’ll even just glue a bunch of photos in that I know I want to talk about and then I’ll go back and do all the writing for what I want to say.  I find that sometimes I feel like writing and sometimes I don’t.  Doesn’t matter because I know I have the photos included from my little “overflow” photo bag.

 I also try to give myself a break and just let myself speak whatever the day or moment brings.  Sometimes it’s the restrictions we place on ourself that keep us from accomplishing anything  when really does it matter?  Everytime Delaney sees her journal in my hand she can’t wait to snatch it and read it.   She doesn’t care if I’ve made it fancy, she just wants to read what I’ve written.  I still remember the first time she saw it. She about fainted when i told her it was for her, her only and she could have it anytime she wanted.    So you will see that this is not fancy, just real.

I made these journals last December as a Christmas present to myself.  I dated them 2008, with the goal of having each one filled by the end of 2008. Neither is full yet and I’m not sure they will be in 2 months, but we’ll see.  I won’t beat myself up over it if inot I am proud of what they include and I am one more project that in 10 years I know is going to be something I’m SUPER glad I took the time to follow through with. 

I had more I wanted to share, will have to save that for another post.  BUT, I almost forgot the best part.  In honor of Halloween weekend, I have a give away of the Art Warehouse Harvest Moon collection.  Enter by commenting on 5 strangers blogs or 5 blogs you normally don’t comment on.  Find something and someone that could smile from your visit.   Just comment here afterward and I think your day will be brighter and you will be entered in the drawing.  Drawing to be held Monday at noon CST.