new today

Instaframes V2 $4...the creatively named sequel kit to, wait for it, Instaframes V1

Confetti Sprinkles $4

Chevol: Big $2 (same color scheme as this kit but a different scale to the pattern)

That second kit took me awhile. Not because of anything technically challenging but just because I wanted it just so with a variety of border styles and color/pattern/bling options. Very obviously inspired by the confetti work of glue, I'm telling you, this one is SUPER versatile.

It includes 10 different confetti patterns (five 3x4" and five 4x6") in a variety of colors, patterns and textures. All of the designs are included as single jpeg files, confetti overlay png files, printable PDFs and brush files. There are also png files for horizontal and vertical journaling lines for both sizes. LOTS of files in this one.

Besides the obvious journaling application, mat small square photos, use the 4x6 designs for birthday invitations, layer the colored png files over a photo or background paper (if the confetti obscures something important, just erase those bits,) or use the individual png files/brushes to cut out circles from your background and layer over another paper (tutorial follows.)

USING BRUSH IMAGES TO CUT CONFETTI CIRCLES

(just a note, you can use the abr file to use these confetti images as an eraser brush but I prefer this method as I can more easily position multiple images before erasing.)

project life 2012: week 4

I enjoyed putting this week together the most yet. I think because I pulled together more of a variety of elements and got friendly with my exacto again.

still *basically* kraft + b/w + grey but with extra color pulled in from a variety of places

left side

Instaframes V1///"currents" overlay - I added the movies that have been requested over and over this particular week

craft day with my sister

to document chinese new year

hand cut overlay sewn on (I just used the stitching on the page protector to line up my stitches and make sure I didn't pierce the packet) image I used for the cut from here

under the overlay - print from here///journaling card from Polka Dot Pixels ledger journal kit (coming Tuesday)

the dinner that completely sucked (first time in a long time that I made something new that wasn't at least salvageable) 2012 journaling cards///gchat with carlos after I made him breakfast :p

pocket holds journaling from this blog post, hambly rub on///prima stars, "her zen radiance" is an anagram of my name - one of the people I follow on Twitter shared this anagram site one day this week and this was my favorite of the phrases it returned

right page

paper from robyn meierotto (let's go mini), word art free from G's blog 

she thinks she's something, huh?

sledding at grandma and grandpa's

some of the art I found on the back of Z's schoolwork :) framed in journaling cards

So, that's it for week 4! I have a template for that 3x4 envelope that I'll share in a couple of days - another stash builder that I made a few of all at once (great for longer or more personal ournaling.)

I've been meal planning for a couple of years - for me, knowing what we're going to eat every night makes life so much less stressful. I don't at all mind cooking every night knowing what I'm making ahead of time and I've found that since I've started planning ahead, I'm much more willing to try more complex, more labor intensive meals. Not necessarily every night, but enough to keep things interesting and introduce new meal options into our diet.

I know a lot of people share their menus each week - I've picked up a lot of meal ideas from Melanie's weekly posts - and I realized how handy it would be to share mine as well. Not because I expect you to be interested but because it would be good to have as reference on those weeks where my planing feels uninspired and I need some reminders about past menu options.

Pinterest has been a fantastic resource for keeping track of dishes that I want on the menu soon and meals we've tried and loved so this is just one more way for me to streamline and simplify the process each week. I typically shop Saturday or Sunday for the upcoming week.

saturday: broccoli cheddar soup + bread
sunday: salad, brown rice, crash hot sweet potatoes (new)
monday: samosas + parsley chutney, salad
tuesday: veggie meatballs w/ soy ginger glaze, egg noodles, veg
wednesday: spaghetti, garlic bread
thursday: roasted vegetables + quinoa
friday: veggie nachos

awesomeness, remembered

Sometimes, I forget how awesome black and white can be. I've definitely gone through a black and white EVERYTHING phase in the past but it's been a long, long time since I used one. Wasting some time, procrastinating a bit while Izzy and Zack get a very much needed nap, I ran across these photos and played quickly (slightly different treatment on each...using actions from The CoffeeShop Blog.

Consider my love renewed.

new today

I'll be brief as our house has been an infirmary for the past 9 days...a whirl of laundry and disinfectant and medicine and lukewarm baths. And while I managed to stave it off myself for a few days, I spent the weekend on my ass and am slowly crawling back out of the hole myself.

Two new kits this week:

Watercolor Notes - $2

Framed In Journaling Cards - $2

Also, if you're a fan of Two Peas on Facebook, there will be a small printable freebie that I designed to coordinate with Lisa Truesdell's Feburary 2012: Captured workshop up shortly. Here are the designs included:

(more confetti options coming to the store next week ;)

Have a great day - hope your households are all healthier that ours this week :)

project life 2012: weeks 1-3

I finished up the last couple of spots for week 3 last night and figured it was time to share what I've done so far. Trust me, there is nothing unique or revolutionary here so if you're not in the mood for a bunch of photos of nothing, stop here!

I didn't want to go overboard with the detail shots but I still think I probably did. For the most part, I'm going with a white/kraft/grey/b+w color scheme and just pulling color from my stash. The product that I did use is pretty old for the most part but the hybrid stuff is fairly new - a combination of my own stuff and things I've picked up here and there. I'll try to link where I can remember the source!

I'm hoping things become a bit more cohesive as I develop a better process for determining what to include each week. To group things that take up multiple spaces, I'm rounding the outside corners of the entire grouping rather than the individual slots. Not sure it's apparent or doing the job I intended but that's the process for now.

WEEK 1

Left side: A New Years recap, a letter that Jake sent to Zack (learning business form letters in school,) calendar from my Action 2012 freebie, a label and photo of yarn for new project.

Right side: photo and journaling about Izzy's infatuation with C shaving, C's patented microwave popcorn popping technique (printable card from here,) to do and "watch" card also from the  Action 2012 freebie, MS label on the card with my sister and Izzy, journaling card from Punctuate Journaling Cards, the paper under Izzy's pic is Bo Bunny. I grabbed the Downton Abbey image from the PBS site and the arrow card from 2012 Journaling Cards: Set 2.

This shows the Date Slims that I recolors to attach to the edge of each spread (tutorial for recoloring here.)

WEEK 2

Left Side: Game time with Izzy, funny story about C and the kids, Positive Paw from school for Z, 2 week "title" (no. 2 design from my talented friend, Linda...chevron background from Paislee Press Press Card Bundle,) fun postage from a PBS book I received in the mail, story about Jake's first day of after-school choir.

I included 3 photos from the same time with the journaling printed on the top photo...you can kind of see here how I grouped them by rounding just the top corners of the top photo and the bottom corners of the bottom photo.

(we're still getting serenaded with this song on a daily basis a month later) Rick Astley silhouette image from here because surely, you'll need this for something at some point, some day, right?)

Closeup of Zack's Positive Paw - recognition of good behavior at school (just because I'm so proud :)

Right side: Story of a job interview I had, just a random weekend moment and opening a new can of coffee. Because I LOVE that smell! "Today", "Right Now," and card for the coffee photo from  Paislee Press Press Card Bundle 

 No, I didn't get the job :( And no, my outfit wasn't quite so drab as it appears in the photo. Yes, it was a gorgeous day.

Week 3:

Left Side: A dinner time quote from Zack, a tribute for MLK day (with some facts about him Jake learned at school tucked behind,) recipe, snowy day (card printable from Valorie Brown.)

This is the recipe we made for my dad for his "year of gifts" Christmas present. I plan to include the recipe we use each month along with photos. I loved how Nicole included favorite recipes and wanted to work that idea in somehow. You can download the 6x4" recipe card png file I created at the end of the blog post if you'd like.

Right Side: Randoms from a Friday, Lego building, a new hat, an email from Jake's teacher.

I included photos of C + J, the finished project, the diagram Jake created and the mini Lego robot Izzy and I made at the  same time. 

It's hard to make out the detail from the lower left pocket but I used paper torn from a typography catalog for the background and some ledger printed backing from a pack of October Afternoon rub-ons for the journaling strip.

Close up of the email and Jake's spelling test tucked in the other pocket.

My helper checking out the photos while I took pictures :) I'll surely be building with Lego's shortly.

 Just click the recipe card image to get the full size to save.