here's to year one in the books.

today C + i are celebrating our one year anniversary. lots to reflect on today, so here's a little bit of what i've learned in our first year of marriage:

we can get through anything together.

we can respect each other to the fullest every single day.

we can disagree, but still love each other at the same time.

we can decorate a room together even thou we have different styles.

we can face hard times and still make each other laugh.

we can laugh at each other a LOT and still love each other in the end.

we can make tough decisions together even if they only benefit one of us at a time.

we can both agree that we both see things differently and that it's okay.

we can travel together as husband + wife just like we traveled as boyfriend + girlfriend.

we can both agree that we had a fantastic wedding.

we can agree that our wedding party was the COOLEST group of our friends/family.

we can both agree that i'm better at planning.

we can both agree that he's the kind of guy that will get to things later.

we can both agree that life is hard, but we are much better as a partnership.

i am so grateful that we got an awesome photographer that night.  i am so happy that we had all of our loved ones in attendance that night.  i loved that we didn't get into debit over our wedding.  i am so happy that our wedding was intimate and small with all our closest family + friends, but it was perfect that way.

looking forward to working on our marriage for many, many more years to come.

** this post inspired by this amazing summer post by Elise

project life | book two

welcome to my very first post on Project Life.  i've said here before about wanting to share my current (and on going) PL album, but never got around to it until now.  this is my first year working on PL, and i'm loving it.  this album is different from my past typical scrap albums.  see, Project Life  takes a close-up look at a person's weekly life vs traditional albums that celebrate a single event.  PL is faster and easier for me at this point, but i have not given up on 12X12 layouts with all the pretty coordinating paper and lovely little embellishments.  what i am doing is combining the two together.  i focus on my weeks with snap shots and add a full page layout in these page protectors if a BIG event or something special happened that week that deserves to be expanded upon.  the focus of my PL is mostly about me, but i've added lots of pictures of my husband, too.  here's the opening week of my second book...

instead of playing catch-up over the next few weeks, i'm just going to show this first week's spread in my book two and then start posting my previous week's layout on Tuesday's or Wednesday's.  hope to see ya back here in the coming weeks to follow along with my album weekly.

** supplies // this album, Clementine core kit, random scrap paper from my bin, adhesive, foam stickies, some flags from Elle Studio, all prints are printed at Walgreens, Instagrams print from Postal Pix, little scraps i pick up along the way, CTMH stamps, ect. 

*** i'll post links when i can of new/current items i'm using in my albums. 

peace on earth.

i'm playing along again with this week's Christmas Card Challenge.  this week's focus was stars, but since i don't have any paper/embellishments with stars i decided to make this instead...

i'm very excited to find new ways every week to come up with a new card and join the fun here. i'm using up all my old 6X6 paper pack from last Christmas, so i've convinced myself that i'm due for another round of new paper this coming week... LOL!  i'm hoping to be back later this coming week with a few new posts on our past weekend, up coming getaway, a project life update or two (fingers crossed!), and high five for Friday post.

** supplies // EP 6X6 paper pack, CTMH stamps, Staz On ink, green/brown/kraft/red cardstock from local craft store, MS twine, and pearls from my extras bins. 

high five for friday.

today is the first time i'm following along with Lauren from my grey desk blog and doing her high five for friday challenge, but i have a feeling today won't be my last time.  i truly enjoy looking back at my week that was, and summoning it up in about five pictures that truly tell the story of me + my week.  so here goes mine:

1. i've become obsessed with the book Discovery of Witches , by Deborah Harkness. highly recommend!
2. a very special friend (& a fantastic wedding photographer) Tori (she's the gal on the left of this picture) just got engaged this week. we couldn't more happier for Adam + her.
3. happy mail from this Etsy shop will always make your day!
4. we went down to Laguna Hills to spend the day at our very good friends home for the holiday.
5. In N Out for lunch... nothing really else to say, but it was perfect, like always.

how was your week?

oh, Christmas trees.

it's time for another Christmas Card Challenge.

if you would like (or love) to play along like me, please go here . the ladies over at CCC came up with a fantastic sketch and i was happy to follow right along.  here's what i came up with...

i was so excited about having a sketch to follow, so i figured i should cut double and make an extra card while i was at it. here's the bonus card...

the second card isn't too different from the first, but i'm glad i made two cards instead of one.  note to future sophie, make TWO card for each week's Christmas Card Challenge... it'll be easier for you to get to the number of cards you need this year.  not sure which one i love more, but both cards will be finding a wonderful homes to welcome them into this coming December.  i'm moving right along with all my holiday cards, and i'm already looking forward to playing along with next year's Christmas Card Challenge.

thanks for stopping by, see ya soon!

**  supplies // echo paper Holly Jolly Christmas, CTMH Holiday Wishes stamp set and New England Ivy ink, MS twine in red/white and green/white from Michael's last Christmas season (but they still have some this year), sentiments from my scrap bin, bling/pearls from my local craft store, and Bazzill Paper card stock in green and red. 

the little guys.

i just adore these little snowmen!  as soon as i saw them last year i knew i wanted to make a Christmas cards, but then life happened and i totally burnt out on making cards for anyone last year.  fast forward to this summer, and my lovely friend Pat joined a design team.  they are focusing on Christmas cards, so she convinced me to play along, and if you'd like to please join them here.  i truly love and enjoy the weekly challenges, but i must admit this week's was a little tough for me.  the call this week was to NOT use a stamp... i was stumped, but decided it roll with the holiday theme and just make a stamped cute card.  the point of the challenge is to get your Christmas cards done, right?  or at least that's what i told myself last night.  here's my card for this week...

aren't these little guys the cutest little snowmen?  i'm looking forward to getting back on track next week with the theme challenge of the week, so hope all you gals come play along.

**supplies // CTMH stamp, Copic markers, Memento black ink, PinkPaislee paper Snow Days, Echo Park paper Holly Jolly Christmas, Deja Views Flurries & Frost flocked brads, Bazzill card stock, and twine from my local craft store. 

the lovely bride.

hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  C + i went to a wedding this weekend down in Carlsbad, Ca. my dear friend, Michelle, got married to a wonderful man named, Mark.  their wedding was beautiful, very warm and inviting colors all around, and a big splash of some Hawaiian Islands love. here's the card i made for her...

 

here's the beautiful bride + her handsome groom...

sorry the picture isn't so good, but i've been trying to take more pictures with my Iphone and less with my camera only for the shear fact that i'm tried of lugging both around to special events like this.  carrying less is more in my book these days.  and here's me with the bride (we've been friends of over 15+ years)...

i just love the light in her eyes in this photo C took of us.  i couldn't be happier for M + M or for the love they are about to embark on.  hooray for the married ladies club!

** supplies // CTMH paper pack, the Greeting Farm Stamp set, MS scoreboard and punches, Copic markers, and embellishments for my local craft store.