and that's a wrap!

Well, I have no idea how, but I somehow managed to get TOTALLY caught up on my photo a day pictures for 2012. And I am so glad I did! Keeping up with this is a big commitment and not always easy...but in the end it is always SO worth it so see all of those everyday memories in one place.

My family loves this.

This is the third year that I've committed to taking a photo every day. (and yes...sometimes I cheat and skip a day...wink!) It is for sure a habit now and something that I think I just HAVE to continue on with for 2013. Graham and I have decided that the memories are just way too precious and like I said, as a family, we LOVE looking through all of our pictures from the year. I'll admit, near the end of the year, there are probably too many instagrams and camera-phone pictures, but I will happily take those pictures over no pictures at all.

I am so excited to get these all printed and into my 2012 Project Life album...that is the FUN part! I will share pictures of that when I am all done.

For now, go ahead and caught up on what we crazy Audenart's have been up to for the past 6 months (yikes! I really was behind!) and stayed tuned for our twenty-thirteen photo a day pictures!

long time no blog!

Let's just say that summer is going by way too quickly, so all that blogging I was planning on doing has been put on the back burner. Sheesh! Ah, well...school starts for the girls in just over a week, so I'm planning on jam-packing as much into these last few days of summer as I can!

I DID want to stop in today though, to share an adorable FREE digital scrapbooking template that my sister, Niki created.

Niki is an amazing digital scrapbooker, so go on over to her blog to check her out and try out her newest template for free. (There's also a link to another FREE digital kit, too...don't miss out!)



Alrighty, I'm off to play with my kiddos...have fun with this cute stuff!



T:)

photo album scrapbooks

If you're anything like me, then you have piles and piles of photos in boxes, waiting to be used. I've recently been unpacking my scrapbook stuff and I couldn't believe the amount of photos I've accumulated over the years....holy cow! I knew I had to something with them, and fast. Today was another rainy day around here, so it was the perfect opportunity for the girls to make their own "photo album scrapbooks" while Kherington and Crew slept. They had so much fun!

We started off with empty 4x6 photo albums (I got these ones at Superstore) and I just spread out a ton of pictures on the table and let the girls use whatever ones they wanted in their albums.

They both spent 2 full hours on these this afternoon! I was so impressed...they carefully put each and every photo in themselves and it was so fun for me to watch them look through the pictures and laugh and remember...it was awesome. Payton decided to embellish hers a little bit with stickers, while Gabby decided to keep hers plain. Whatever they wanted.

And just like that, 200 pictures are now out of a box and in an album, ready to be enjoyed.

:)

2010 | project 365 album

It's done! All of my project 365 pictures from 2010 have a happy home in this gorgeous album. I love it soooo much!

I have to say, I am so glad that I kept up with this project last year, and that I'm doing it this year, too. (i still have to create a new 365 blog for 2011...it's coming, I promise!) I really feel like I accomplished something now that all of my pictures are in one place...not bad for someone who hasn't scrapbooked in almost a year, hey? I am torn between purchasing another project life kit right away for my 2011 pictures, or waiting until the end of the year like I did for this one. I loved being able to put the whole together at once...so we'll see.

For now, we are enjoying this one and I'm having fun taking my pictures every day. It's definately become more of a habit now and my whole family is used to the camera being out all the time.

:)

Tal

looking back

I just wanted to share this layout that I did a while back for my friends circle journal. I had so much fun with this page! It was so fun to go through old photos and just see how much I've changed and to take a little walk down memory lane.

And my favorite part? Seeing the resemblance between me as little girl and Gabby. Holy cow. I can now see that she is the child that looks like me. So cool.

Love old photos.

:)

a little getaway and some scrapbookin'

This past weekend Gray and I took a much needed little trip to Montana, just the two of us. It was so awesome. I can't even remember the last time we went somewhere alone...maybe before we had Payton? So needless to say, it was long-overdue. We farmed the kids and the dog out to all the grandma's and great-grandma's and headed south. Our weekend was filled with eating, shopping, going to movies and SLEEPING. Oh, the un-interrupted, glorious sleep! It was fabulous. Thank you to everyone who helped with our kiddos, we love you!!!

(Oh, and on Valentine's day I even managed to get Gray to watch New Moon with me in the hotel room! What a trooper, hey?)



And moving right along...



I found some time last week-ish to do some scrapbookin'. I'm rusty, but I got some pages done nonetheless!







I wish I had more time to scrapbook, but man, life is busy. My room calls to me on a daily basis, but...so do my girly-girls. So for now, I need to be okay with only getting a little done here and there. It's okay. One day, I'll have that time again to scrapbook to my hearts content. One day.



T:)

P.S. I have some new pictures on my 365 blog, too!

happy birthday...cards

So, you know when it's someone's birthday and you need to give them a card, and you have none in your stash and no time to make one? Well, that's happened to me one time too many, so I cracked down the other day and made a handful of birthday cards. And I have to say...I had so much fun!

I went crazy with my glimmer mists and Heidi Swapp stamps and masks...it was fun to get my hands dirty again (or should I say "glimmery")!

So now, when a birthday comes...I am ready. I've already given a couple away!

Have a happy day!

T:)

a couple ideas...

Need some simple Christmas ideas? "Simple" is all I seem to be capable of lately, so if you're anything like me then here you go.



First, these little Christmas gift tags. I downloaded this kit from House of 3, printed the tags off, cut them out, inked the edges, then stapled on a little bag topper. (that I created myself using House of 3 brushes.)






And second, these simple Christmas postcards using this kit from House of 3 as well. I love it! So simple and cute, and since the House of 3 graphics are so amazing, it looks alot more impressive than it really was to make. Love that!






I'm just enjoying my Monday afternoon. All 3 girls are playing nicely, the house is (pretty) clean and I'm just getting ready for my week ahead. I wish I could say that I don't have that much going on, but that is not the case! My plan is to just take it one day at a time. I'd loooove to get all my Christmas shopping done this week, but we'll see if that actually happens.



I can't believe that 2009 is coming to an end. I need to go through all of my pictures from this year and reflect on everything that we've done as a little family. It is hard for me to imagine not having Kherington...she just fits in with us so perfectly, I can't believe she's only been with us for a few months. I love checking on her at night and seeing her sleeping with her little bum up in the air. It is just so dang cute. (my mom always told me I used to sleep that way, too.) She is precious.



And Payton has become such a big girl in this past year. She is getting tall and skinny and no longer has that "chubbiness" that little kids have that I just love so much. But she is becoming such a sweet girl and such a wonderful little helper to me. She is very sensitive and kind and has developed a conscience (yay!). She's feels bad if she knows she's done something wrong, or hurt someone's feelings...she always apologizes so sincerely. :)



And Gabby. Oh, what to say about my little Gabby? She is the epitomy of "naughty and nice". One minute she'll be downright nasty and then next minute she'll say, "Thank you, mommy. You're the best mommy in the whole wide world." which makes me completely forget how nasty she was just seconds before. I love bedtime when Gray and I take turns singing and tickling her back...she just loves to be loved. And we love to love her.



Last night I spent who knows how long reading Stephanie's blog, and I am always moved to tears as I read about her life, her struggles, her accident. Seeing what she has overcome just makes me so grateful for all that I have in my life, for the little things that make me who I am. If you've never read her blog, go now. I promise you'll be changed for good.



And now, if my kids will let me, I think it is time for a nap. And tonight, the Christmas baking begins.



Tal xo

'tis the season

Being that it's now December, I thought I'd do a little Christmas scrapbook share. This layout was actually supposed to be in this months issue of Creating Keepsakes. I did it back in July in the middle of going back and forth between home and Montana...they wanted me to change the font I used for the "tis the season" title and I just wasn't able to re-do the layout and get it back to them in time, so I missed out. But oh, well! I can still share it here! Man, oh man I need to do some scrapbooking. I miss it. But for now I need to focus on all things Christmas...and the first thing on my list is getting my tree up. I usually do it in November so I am feeling behind.



Before I run, just wanted to mention that I went to the SYTYCD Canada Concert last night with Kim and A and it was sooooo much fun! (besides the freezing cold walk from the parking lot...brrr!) We were surrounded by screaming teenagers, it was hilairious, and the dancers were so CUTE in real life. Loved, loved, loved it. Thanks for the fun night girls!



Okay, decorating, here I come!



T:)

my "heidi" projects

So as I had mentioned before, Kim and I headed down to Montana this past weekend to take some classes from our good friend and amazing scrapbooker, Heidi Swapp. It was so much fun to just sit and scrapbook and visit. I totally needed this little getaway! I missed my family like crazy, but we were back in no time, and I actually have some projects to show for it! They are empty right now, mind you, but I just came home from Costco today with a bazillion pictures that I got developed, so I hope to fill these soon!



So this first project is entitled "Time & Season" and Heidi focused on the fact that we are all in different seasons of our lives, and those seasons inevitably change for each and every one of us. This project is supposed to highlight the "time and season" that we are in right now. For me, it is a time of diapers, driving, little sleep, sippy-cups, soothers, bottles, a messy house...but also a time of laughs and love and fleeting moments with my kids that I'll never get back. Really made me think about how lucky I am to have what I have right now, and to not take this time in my life as a young mother for granted.







This next cute project was one that we whipped up in no time. A little wall-hanging to countdown to any special event...birthdays, anniversary's, holidays, whatever! So cute! I already want to make one for Halloween and Christmas!







On Saturday morning we made this "Family Memories" album. I am so excited about it because it's designed to house just tons of photos and journaling. I'm planning on jam-pcking mine with pictures from this summer. I can't wait! (It was so much fun to paint the front and back covers...my hands haven't been dirty with paint in a while!!)






And last but not least was the "Once in a Lifetime" project. My favorite for sure. Everyone was in their element during this class. This was Heidi's project that she taught at Creative Escape this year so I am sooooo excited that I got the chance to do it! She totally designed all the pieces for it and had everything made in China, so these projects themselves are a "Once in a Lifetime" thing! Anyways, the premise behind this project was to recognize the fact that every experiance in our life, every trip, every milestone, every moment...is a once in a lifetime experience. I tend to take the little things in life for granted, so I was grateful to take a step a back and reflect upon my own personal "once in a lifetime" experiences. Not sure what photos I'll be putting in this pretty yet, but I'll come up with something!









So there you have it. Thank you Heidi and Kim for an awesome weekend! We went shopping to Target, sang to our ipods, ate, had facials from Heidi, scrapbooked, talked, talked and TALKED. It was so much fun. Till next time, right Kim?




Tal:)