Love Today - Pink Paislee + Video

Hello, November! My first project share this month is on the Pink Paislee blog today. Using the Memorandum collection, I put together this layout, as well as a process video.

This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of Precocious Paper. I do receive financial compensation and products from American Crafts to develop certain blog posts, but all of the ideas and opinions are my own.

I loved bringing the collection's bright colors together. You know my favorite color palette is red, yellow and aqua, so I had a lot of fun making this.

You can see the video on my YouTube channel here.

On a side note, if you'd like to follow along with my Attitude of Gratitude project this year, I'm using mainly Instagram to document my daily thoughts and you can find me on IG here. I love this format because it combines pictures and words, which is great for my Grateful Memorydex Spinner.

I'll share how my family is contributing to the spinner soon, and I'll follow up with a video of the completed project in December. I'm going to be posting weekly round-ups of my photos and thoughts here on the blog. I'll be sharing as I go on Facebook, too.

Do you love November as much as I do? Thanks for stopping by today! Tessa

Grateful Memorydex Spinner - Pink Paislee

Hello! While I may be a bit behind on several things (ahem...like posting to this blog...) I am excited to be ahead of the game when it comes to this year's Attitude of Gratitude. Instead of making a mini album or journal like in years past, I am going to be filling the new Heidi Swapp Memorydex spinner with my daily thanks:

 This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of Precocious Paper. I do receive financial compensation and products from American Crafts to develop certain blog posts, but all of the ideas and opinions are my own.

Inspired by the alphabetized tab cards in Heidi's line, I decided to organize my blessings by letter. To get things set up, I created a note card for each letter of the alphabet with Heidi's large, polka dot minc alphas. I foiled them in gold to match the gold accents of the Memorandum collection from Pink Paislee:

There is plenty of room left to add more cards and photos as November happens. I love this format because it is so easy to make additions. And, because it's organized alphabetically instead of chronologically, I don't feel like I have to stick to one thing a day, or keep anything in order by day of the month.

I have already added several extra dividers and cards from the Memorandum collection. The back of every card is empty so that I can use those spaces to add more embellishments and journaling. I'm going to try to take a photo a day and add those, too. Heidi's dies make that so easy!

If you'd like to read more about my spinner, check out my post on the Pink Paislee blog here. Also, you can see a piece-by-piece flip-through on my YouTube channel here.

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your day :).

Dude! - The Studio

Happy Sunday! There's a new challenge up at The Studio today. It's our monthly sketch challenge, and I'm honored to have had a layout from August be the inspiration for the sketch :). Here's my take:

And here's the sketch alongside the original layout:

I usually have a hard time scraplifting myself, so I went with a photo of my son and a masculine theme so that  it felt "new". I'm pretty happy with the result!

I used a lot of Crate Paper, a little Basic Grey, Pinkfresh Studio, and Studio Calico stars (clear and wood veneer).

If I don't use flowers, stars are my next favorite :). I thought the mix tapes were a great trade-off for the flowers in the original layout, too.

If you'd like to play along, you can find the challenge post at The Studio here. Be sure to check out the design team's layouts, too. It's really fun to see all the different takes on my design ;).

Attitude of Gratitude....

I have a bit of catch-up to do! Let me explain.... Have you ever lost something, or it broke, and you didn't realize how much you depended on that thing until it was gone? Yeah, that was me this past week with my iPhone, which won't be fixed until Monday night. I was tracking all of my Attitude of Gratitude photos and thoughts on my phone, so until I can properly retrieve them and post them, I'm just going to move on.

Attitude of Gratitude Day 8: I am grateful for the service men and women who have proudly and honorably served in the military to secure and protect my freedoms. I am grateful for their families. I am grateful for their sacrifices.

For the past four years we've held a "Veterans Appreciation Night" for Cub Scouts. We invite the veterans from church, our families and our community. We prepare a program for them that includes patriotic songs, skits, and projects the boys have been working on about citizenship. The veterans share stories about their service. We present the veterans with a token of our appreciation. It's a really meaningful and fun pack meeting.

Last night, our gathering activity was "bootcamp" - an obstacle course with jumping jacks, army crawling and target practice. The Webelos incorporated Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance into our flag ceremony. The wolves sang a song and we all sang the Star Spangled Banner together. The bears shared posters about what makes America special and how to be a good citizen. We heard amazing stories about Christmas Eve in a foxhole and being chased by submarines while crossing the Equator. But my favorite moment of the night was when one veteran shared about the cost of service. He wanted the boys to understand that they could help veterans who had returned from war disabled. He talked about physical scars, but more importantly, he talked about mental scars. A lot of adults are squeamish about talking to young people about mental health, but I think, done in an age-appropriate way like this veteran did, it promotes understanding and compassion. He listed different organizations and encouraged the boys to find ways to serve these veterans. I am grateful for his perspective and that he shared those thoughts with the boys.

One of my goals for Attitude of Gratitude this year is to act on my gratitude more frequently. I'm taking that goal to den meeting this week. We will be writing thank you notes to the veterans who attended our pack meeting. We will also be putting together a care box for a young man from church who is currently serving in the Army. I hope the boys make the gratitude-service connection. They're great kids ;).

Hopefully I'll be able to catch up with Attitude of Gratitude on the next couple of days :). Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

Love Your Company - DCWV

Hello! How is November treating you? Mine has been a mix of things to be grateful for and things I can't wait to move on from. Thus, not posting Attitude of Gratitude Sunday. Or yesterday. But -- I am going to catch up! Ready?

Day 3 (yes, I'm skipping day two, but I'll get to that tomorrow): I am grateful for the one-on-one time I get to spend with Addie.

I generally plan my day so that if I need to run errands, it happens between Kindergarten drop-off and school pick-up. That means it's just Adlyn and me. I know that the next five years are going to fly by, so I'm relishing this school day time we have together. Last week I decided to document an afternoon of errand-running, and these are a few photos from that day.

I created this layout using the November DCWV Stack-a-holic Challenge sketch, which you can find here. I used the Sweet Blossom Stack, the Printed Burlap Stack, and the Embossed Cardstock Stack. I love the different textures and prints!

The flair is by A Flair for Buttons :).

I also had the opportunity to design the card sketch for the challenge this month:

With gratitude in mind, I created two "thank you" cards. I was making this pretty literal interpretation of the sketch when I decided I actually wanted to make a horizontal card. So, I quickly finished this one with a wooden flag sentiment and moved on:

Still working with all the scraps from my layout, I created this horizontal version:

I love it. I love that the sentiment is of gratitude, but not just "thank you". And I love the colors and the light, brightness of the white woodgrain cardstock and airy tissue paper.

Speaking of thank you cards, I am going to be sharing thank you cards (complete with original sketches!) all month long, so if you're a fan of cards, be sure to keep checking back :).

Thanks for stopping by today! Tessa

Attitude of Gratitude Begins

Hello, November. I'm excited about another year of dedicating this month to recognizing my blessings, expressing gratitude, and acting on that thankfulness :).

Day 1: I am grateful to have a job that I love. This year, I only teach one day a week, but that day is filled with technique classes and rehearsals for the two youngest jazz troupes at the studio, as well as coaching several soloists.

Here I am, teaching the 6-8 year olds their lyrical piece. I love teaching this age because so much of what I teach them is a brand new. I have the privilege (and responsibility) of laying a foundation for these girls that will take them wherever their hearts desire to go in dance. Yes, next week we will be working on our turnout and hip placement, but we will also improvise on the floor, pretending we forgot how to stand up. We will wave ribbon wands as we dance like clouds and then like waves. We will snap our spots, pull up in releve, and hopefully nail that double pirouette. We will stretch, build strength, and most of all - build confidence in ourselves. And I will love my time in the studio, love the girls, and be oh-so-grateful that I get to do this every week.

I'll be back tomorrow with the first of three special Attitude of Gratitude SMASH Sunday posts :). See you then! Tessa

Grateful Eight - Chickaniddy Crafts, and Attitude of Gratitude 2014

"If you want to find happiness, find gratitude." - Steve Maraboli

This quotation inspired my "thankful layout" for the Chickaniddy Crafts blog:

I loved working with the Scrumptious line. The die-cut numbers inspired the list-style journaling.

I liked the ring of "grateful eight", so I went with eight things I am thankful for.

Of course, I am grateful for many more than eight things. With November coming up, I've been putting a lot of thought into my Attitude of Gratitude project.

I started Attitude of Gratitude five years ago on this blog. I basically shared something I was grateful for every day in November, here and on social media. Some years I gave away prizes for people who joined me. Last year I was a miserable failure - being pregnant and following through with a daily project just didn't work out for me. Every year I have made a gratitude journal. Well, last year I started one.;)

My intentions are good, though, and I am determined to follow through this year. I'm going to focus on blog content, sharing various ways to document and express gratitude. I'm excited about it and I hope you'll join me in some way.

I hope your day is going well! Thanks for stopping by :). Tessa

Attitude of Gratitude 2013 - Day 4

Pinned here. Get the printable here.

I have always loved this analogy. It clicks, really resonates with me. I often think of my blessings, the things I'm grateful for, as gifts. And one of my biggest gifts is this little man:

It's sinking in that these are the last few months that Jaxon will be "the baby". He will always be "my baby" and my baby boy, but these are the last moments of just me and him at home together. Soon, our lives will be enriched and blessed with little sister, but it's bittersweet in a way. I've really appreciated our one-on-one time lately. I've tried to take advantage of every bit of it. Tonight, after the boys went to bed and while Daddy was working on a project, Jaxon helped me pick up a bit in my craft room. When we finished putting my washi tape in rainbow order, I held up my hand for a high five. When he didn't notice, I said, "Hey! Where's my high five?" He gave my hand a slap and said, "Hey! Where's my hug and kiss?!" Mama heart = melted. I'm so grateful for this little man. Like I said on instagram, he blesses me more than I could ever hope to bless him.

Thanks for visiting :). Tessa

Attitude of Gratitude 2013 - Day 3

Pinned here. Cannot find original source. If that's you, please let me know so I can give credit.

For a very long time, we lived too far from church to walk. There were times when we'd have to drive for miles. Even though it was never really that far, I always wished we lived close enough to church to walk. There's something about walking and being in nature that prepares you a bit more spiritually, and helps the messages from church to sink in a little deeper before arriving home. When we moved back to California three years ago, we were fortunate enough to move into a place just one street over from our church building. Now we walk whenever we get the chance!

When I do drive, the boys usually still walk home. It is so fun to "race" them! I basically let the car crawl along while they huff and puff to reach home first. When they are older, and too cool to race the car, I am sure I am going to treasure memories like this :).

Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

Attitude of Gratitude 2013 - Day 2

Pinned here. Illustration by Jen Troyer.

One of my goals this month is to think about the small, everyday things that I often take for granted. I pinned this image during the past year and have enjoyed the reminder that I am blessed - I just need to take the time to remember that.

So, I am grateful for hot showers, especially after a long weekend of dance. I've always loved a good, long, come-out-of-the-water-red kind of shower. I'm grateful that I get one from time to time.

Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

Attitude of Gratitude 2013 - Day 1

I am grateful for the privilege I have to bring children into this world.

As I woke up with pregnancy aches and pains, feeling like I must not have slept because I was still so tired, I chastised myself and remembered - be grateful that you can actually do this. This print, pinned here and found for purchase on Etsy here, is something I think I could use in my bedroom.

Honestly, I do not really enjoy being pregnant. Sometimes I have to remind myself that rather than complain about my temporary discomforts and challenges, I need to be grateful that carrying this baby is possible. I am. I am grateful that I can hear her heartbeat. I am grateful that I can feel her kick and stretch and - I swear, she does this - do cartwheels. I am grateful to know that she is growing well. And, even though I'm so excited for her to arrive in January, I am grateful for 13 more weeks to get ready!

Are you celebrating gratitude this month? I'd love to know how! Feel free to link me up in the comments. I'll be continuing my Attitude of Gratitude posts here and on Facebook, as well as joining in with Paper Issues on instagram. I'll be sharing projects throughout the month, too. Thanks for stopping by, and happy November! Tessa

Christmas Storybook Countdown - Epiphany Crafts

Hello! Wow, what a week! Getting sick followed by Thanksgiving is a good combination for not getting a lot of blogging done! But, the week was good (in the end) and I'm ready for a new one. Before Monday gets away from me, though, I wanted to post my latest project for Epiphany Crafts.

This year we are counting down to Christmas in a new way - with a Christmas Storybook Countdown. My boys all love to read, so I thought this kind of advent calendar would be a great fit for our family. Epiphany Crafts teamed up with Simple Stories, and I was given the Handmade Holidays collection to play with. I cut apart the title/journaling cards and created 25 tags, one for each book:

I embellished the tags with stars, banners and circles by Epiphany Crafts. I also added a bit of gold airmail washi to each one.

I wrapped up 25 storybooks in tissue paper and matching yarn, then clipped the tags in place.

I decided to use clothespins so that I can save and reuse the tags next year. No sense in tearing them with the wrapping, right?

Now my boys are getting excited for bedtime stories and Christmas. I hope this is something that turns into a tradition for us :). For more Simple Stories/Epiphany Crafts wonderfulness, stop by the blog here (and enter to win!). Thanks for stopping by today! I am sharing another advent calendar tomorrow, featuring one of my favorite holiday stacks by DCWV. See you then! Tessa

Attitude of Gratitude Day 26: I am grateful for my health, and the health of my family. I don't mind the little bugs we catch when I know how other families are suffering through incredible, physical hardships. I really can't complain and am truly blessed.

Happiness is a Grateful Heart - Epiphany Crafts

Epiphany Crafts challenged me to make a fall decor piece. Inspired by one of my favorite quotes about gratitude, I created this:

My fall decor consists of traditional autumn colors, with a bit of pistachio green thrown in. I wanted this project to be all about the green, so I pulled my favorite green-blue papers from Crate Paper's Acorn Avenue line (picked up via Scrapbook Circle). I used Epiphany Craft's round and button tools to create custom shapes, and I filled in the smallest spaces with rhinestones.

I love the sparkle! With all the natural fibers and materials in my fall display, it's fun to have a little bling now, too :). You can find my project at the Epiphany Crafts blog today. Be sure to enter to win their giveaway!

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 13: I am grateful for my boys' teachers. It always so happens that parent-teacher conferences happen during November, and after meeting with my boys' teachers, I am always reminded of how hard they work. I am grateful to them for their dedication to my children's education. And for their patience, and sense of humor. :) :) :)

Thanks for stopping by today! Enjoy your Tuesday :). Tessa

Grateful...

Day 10: I am grateful for the cub scout program. On Saturday, our pack put on a Veterans Appreciation night in conjunction with pack meeting. Several veterans from our area came and it was pretty amazing to see our 8, 9 and 10 year old boys talking to them about their service; saying thanks for their service; and serving them (ice cream!). I am grateful for a program that instills important values in our young men. I am proud of each and every one of the boys in our pack :).

Day 11: I am grateful for children. For the example they are to me. For all that I learn from them. Sunday was the Primary Program at church - a time when the children (ages 3 through 11) lead our main worship service. They sing, they read prepared messages that they wrote themselves and they (loudly into that microphone!) share their little (and yet, so large) testimonies with us. It was a beautiful program. I am so grateful for my children and the children that I get to work with through church, dance and school. Each one is absolutely amazing in their own, special way.

Day 12: I am grateful for Colten. Colten is my oldest, and the child most like me personality-wise. This often leads to parenting with greater understanding and increased patience because I tend to "get" him more than my other kiddos. I'm not the Colten-whisperer, though, so sometimes we have our moments. However, a very wise friend told me yesterday that even though I may not think he is listening, he really is. And he understands. He demonstrated this over the weekend. He was a rock star! He did his chores - willingly, happily. He did a great job in the Primary Program with his part. He was helpful at every chance he got. I just really, really appreciated him and his sweet spirit in our home the past few days. I am so grateful to be his mama.

I'll be back tomorrow with another fall/gratitude/thanksgiving project to share :). Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

My Girl Mini Album - Epiphany Crafts and My Little Shoebox

I had the pleasure of working with My Little Shoebox for a recent Epiphany Crafts project. I don't have a little girl, so I made a mini album for a friend with the darling My Little Shoebox papers I received:

I used 4x6 chipboard pages as my base. I simply covered each page with patterned paper and created a pocket on every other page with a patterned paper strip. I used the journaling cards as in between pages and tags.

I embellished the front with a MLS flower and Epiphany Crafts buttons and a vintage setting. I also used the buttons on the inside of the album. I love that they are dimensional, but also flat and completely custom - great for mini book embellishments!

Thanks to My Little Shoebox for the opportunity to play with your sweet, sweet products :). You can find the post at Epiphany Crafts here (and enter to win an EC/MLS prize, too!).

I've slipped in posting my Attitude of Gratitude thoughts here on the blog, but I have been posting them on Facebook and Instagram. It was a rough week with a pulled muscle in my back and a little boy with the flu, but it was a good week. Just one where I wasn't on the computer much ;).

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 6: I am grateful for the country I live in. I really, truly am.

Day 7: I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ because it gives me hope and peace.

Day 8: I am grateful for Jaxon. He does this thing where he blinks his eyes rapidly with a devious little smile when I'm trying to scold him. He knows it will make me laugh! I love this kid with all my heart and soul. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father saw fit to send him to me.

Day 9: I am grateful for my job. There is a lot of sad talk around here about jobs - strikes, unemployment, underemployment, etc. As a dance teacher, I am offering a service that is pretty much a luxury. I would imagine that it's one of the first things that gets cut when families are having a tough time. And yet, I have classes that are past their maximum and I have had to turn down private lesson students due to lack of time. I do not take this for granted one bit. I work hard to offer my students the best class every week. I love my job and my students know it. The income I am able to bring in to our family budget is a HUGE blessing and I am very, very grateful for it.

I hope you had a great week, too! Thanks for stopping by today :). Tessa

Vintage Chalkboard Calendar - SRM Stickers

I am guest designing at SRM Stickers today :). Susan sent me the new mini calendars to create with, and this is what I came up with:

I found this vintage chalkboard in an old home that was being remodeled. It had been colored on with markers and crayons, but otherwise was in good shape. I cleaned it up the best I could and realized that I still wasn't going to be able to use it as a chalkboard. I held onto it for quite awhile, and when the mini calendars arrived, I knew exactly what it would become - my 2013 calendar!

I embellished shipping tags with patterned paper by DCWV. This is the Sweet Blossom stack (my current favorite). I added wood veneer birds (Studio Calico), doilies (Freckled Fawn), and feathers. I also added some shiny gold sequins for a little sparkle.

The tray of the chalkboard is filled with flowers. The large orange and pink flowers are Prima, as well as the medium and small yellow flowers. The mustard felt roses are from my shop, as well as the denim Ruffle Blossoms.

It's flowery and girlie and I love it! Thank you to SRM Stickers and Susan and Jenyfur for inviting me to guest design. I really do love my SRM Stickers :). You can find my post at SRM here.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 4: I am grateful that my passion for creating can help others. In the past week or so, beyond my normal hobby-creating and DT assignments, I have had the opportunity to bless several lives with something I have made. I'm grateful that I can be called on at 7:00 a.m. for a flower brooch to match an outfit; I'm grateful that I can whip up a Harry Potter wand at the eleventh hour for Halloween; I'm grateful that I could notice the upcoming birthday of a new friend and pull together something she loved. I'm grateful that something I love to do is also so useful to others. And I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father for entrusting me with this ability.

Attitude of Gratitude - Day 5: I am grateful for the many opportunities I have to create within the crafting industry. This past year I have been blessed to work with several new manufacturers. I will see my work in print and on store signage and even more at CHA this coming year. These opportunities have helped me grow in so many ways. The relationships that I am forming with fellow designers and companies are a huge blessing. And again, I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for entrusting me with the talent needed to be successful in these personal pursuits.

Have a wonderful Monday! Tessa