Love Always - Scrapbook Circle

I'm sharing on the Scrapbook Circle blog again today, this time a layout featuring some fun stickers by Seven Paper (Studio Calico):

These trendy icon stickers are in the January Fresh Start kit. I saved most of the sheet for my planner (because they are adorable! and gold!), but chose a few favorites for this page.

Besides the main kit, I also used this add-on. I just love the giant Maggie Holmes alphas!

I wanted the colors of the photos to stand out, so I kept the rest of the page neutral: white, gold, black and cork. You can see the theme of my layout - always, every day - in the title and the calendar background paper. I love how a year-at-a-glance calendar makes some great white space.

You can see my post on the Scrapbook Circle blog here and find the Fresh Start kit here. Thanks for stopping by today! Tessa

Ooh La La - Pink Paislee

As soon as I found out I was having a girl, people asked if I'd put her in dance class. My answer was always yes, if she'd like to dance. I didn't want her to dance just because Mommy did; however, I knew she'd be influenced. In her little life she has gone to many dance competitions and performances. She has stopped by the studio, she has played during private lessons, and she loves to get together with Mommy's dancers at our parties. She has seen Mommy work on choreography at home and she loves to watch dance videos on YouTube, Facebook and IG. 

Addie loved getting ballet shoes. I have to hide them or else she'd wear them 24/7.

I just knew she was a dancer when I taught her "I'm a Little Teapot". The way she pops her hip when she does the "handle" action and the way her jazzy little hand shoots out in the air when she does the "spout" action told me that yes, this girl is a dancer (and probably a jazz dancer like her Mom!). Put her in class! 

Practicing a bun. We usually let her curls do their wild thing. Can't get away with that for ballet class!

So, she joined my tiny tots class for 2 and 3-year-olds at Northern California Dance Conservatory (NCDC). I don't know how long this will last. Part of me hopes forever, and part of me - who knows all the not so fun stuff about dance - wouldn't mind getting caught up in different hobbies or sports or passions. But, she loves to dance, and I love to dance, and I'm going to love sharing that passion with her as long as she wants it to be that way.

She wouldn't stop staring at herself in the mirror long enough to smile for me ;).

The new C'est La Vie collection by Pink Paislee was perfect for documenting this incredibly special moment in her - who am I kidding? - our lives. You can read more about the gorgeous products in the line and my process on the Pink Paislee blog today. 

I've also got tips in the post for what you don't want to miss when documenting dance class milestones like this.

I LOVE the mirror stickers and the gold glittered cork stickers and the ephemera and...all of it, really. It's a great collection for dance layouts and much, much more.

Thank you for stopping by today! Tessa

Mom & Addie - Scrapbook Circle

Next to my laptop is the layout I'm sharing today, and I just noticed the arrows. One points across, moving on. Two more point downward, focusing attention on the important parts of the page:

What's that phrase about life imitating art? I'm having one of those weeks with arrows pointing in all directions. No corner of my life has been left untouched by both blessings and challenges in the past few days. While feeling especially stressed out yesterday, I received news that my grandpa had passed away. In the chaos I paused, prayed for my family, and regrouped my thoughts. Life on this earth comes to an end. Time - my one little word - is precious. I can choose to spend my time grumbling about needing a new roof and cleaning up the leak in my kitchen, or I can be grateful for my house, for the rain we so desperately need, and for the people helping us. I can spend time stressing out over circumstances beyond my control at work, or I can channel that energy into positive thoughts and actions. Life is going to be a combination of ups and downs and sideways no matter what I do, so I choose to spend my time wisely.

Today, that means sharing this bright and happy layout. It's inspired by the January Trend Challenge at Scrapbook Circle, which you can find (and play along with!) here.

The challenge is to create a page with a "ransom note" style title or sub-title. I used the Seven Paper washi tape included in the Fresh Start kit:

I shared one of these photos on instagram and told the story behind it already, but this was the morning I left for CHA a couple weeks ago. After we were dressed, I noticed that we were both wearing charcoal gray shirts that said "home". I swear I don't dress us like twins on purpose! But it was a fun mother-daughter moment to capture :).

Hug your loved ones. Spend time doing something good for your soul today. And be sure to stop by Scrapbook Circle :). Have a good one! Tessa

Pinch Me - Pink Paislee

Seriously. Pinch me. Wednesday's news followed by this amazing opportunity again....



I'm so excited! I get to work with very talented people, and I get to work with gorgeous product. Did you see the new releases? First of all, I'm thrilled that Paige Evans is creating lines for Pink Paislee:

She is so cute, and super sweet, and I just LOVE her Fancy Free line. Is Spring here yet? I want to play!



Second, Ces't La Vie! If you know me, you know I have a thing for black and white stripes and florals. It's probably more obsession than "thing", but I own it. I'm playing with this amazing product now and having the time of my life :).

Check out the announcement on the Pink Paislee blog here. You can read a little bit about each of us there, too.

Thanks for stopping by, and all the kind words this week. I felt the love :). Have a good one! Tessa

Exciting News! - We R Memory Keepers

Hello, hello! I've been keeping a little secret, but the word is out!



I was incredibly honored by the invitation and accepted right away. Are you familiar with WRMK? They are part of the American Crafts family and I would call them the "tool" people. There are dozens of innovative products with the WRMK label (like Crop-o-dile and Cinch), as well as great paper and embellishment lines. I am most excited about the home decor and party possibilities. My head is spinning with ideas!

Thank you to We R Memory Keepers for the opportunity, and stay tuned, friends! I'm working on my first home decor project for Addie's room at the moment and it is SO cute! You're going to love the concept and be able to adapt it to any room of your house.

Check out the announcement post at the WRMK blog here. Did you notice who I get to design with? I'm feeling pretty lucky :). That post will link you up to all those lovely ladies.

Thanks for stopping by today! Tessa

Time - One Little Word 2016

Hello 2016! I love a new beginning, and nothing has shaped the start of a new year for me more than "One Little Word". I'm grateful to Ali Edwards for this concept, and for the workshop she leads. I signed up for the workshop for the first time this past year, and even though I didn't participate every month, my word was visible in a way that it never had been before. I'll be doing the workshop again this year and I'm looking forward to making it more of a priority. I've seen what my word has done for me, and I can only imagine what it can do for me with more nurturing.

The word I have chosen for 2016 is TIME. To be more accurate, my word chose me. In October I started seeking out my next word, but I struggled to find it. I began to wonder if I'd ever find a word to connect with. One afternoon, while feeling the stress of the daily grind, I took a break to practice my current word - still. In that quiet moment, my next word settled like a falling feather in my mind - time. It wasn't accompanied by any fanfare, mental fireworks or a spiritual awakening, but the peace I felt was a witness that "time" was the one.

I love that I was led to my 2016 word by my 2015 word. If I had not realized meaningful growth with still, I probably would have missed out on time. I have no idea what TIME will teach me, but I am excited by all the possibility.



I expect 2016 to be just as challenging, hard, and beautiful as 2015, but I know keeping my word visible will help me to cling to what I know to be important, increase in what I lack, and start 2017 as a better person.

How about you? What's your word?

Christmas Storybook Countdown + TIPS - Pink Paislee

Hello December! Tonight is the beginning of one of our favorite traditions - the storybook countdown to Christmas. For the past few years we have enjoyed reading a Christmas-themed book every night in December leading up to Christmas Day.

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.

This is our first Christmas in our new home, and with the pretty gray walls, my old Christmas decor (mostly gold) wasn't going to work. Inspired by the current buffalo check trend, we are now going modern woodsy in red, black, gray, natural green elements and metallic silver. Deer and my beloved birds are a big motif, too. Anyway, since I'm taking some time to pull together all those elements, I thought a great place to make a quick, big impact with the new design was in our storybook countdown. Twenty-four wrapped books offer a lot of surface area to bring in patterns and colors, so I had fun shopping for a variety of wrapping papers and found several I loved. The sources are mentioned below each close-up.

white stripes (wedding) wrapping paper - Walmart

Yuletide metallic number, sequins, acetate tag

My silver and gold countdown numbers from last year weren't going to work, so I immediately turned to Pink Paislee's Yuletide collection. First of all, the metallic red numbers are GORGEOUS! I knew they would be the perfect centerpiece for my tags.

buffalo check wrapping paper - Target

Yuletide metallic number, envelope

plaid wrapping paper - Michaels

Yuletide metallic number, 3x4 card (patterned paper), and puffy stickers

Yuletide easily coordinates with my new color palette, and the embellishments were a ton of fun to mix and match.

modern plaid wrapping paper - Target Dollar Spot

Yuletide metallic number, gold foil label, sentiment sticker

Have you done this kind of countdown before? I've learned a few things over the years that I'm happy to share:

1. Time management. Before wrapping the books and then randomly assigning numbers, make a list of titles and estimate how long it might take to read them aloud. Look at your calendar and purposefully assign dates to books based on how much time you will have that day to read. You'll be much more successful in actually reading every day, and you won't be stressed out trying to read a long story after a busy night.

2. Borrow books from the library. If your collection is lacking, borrow books from the library. Be careful wrapping them, and pay attention to due dates. Perhaps include library books in the beginning of your countdown so they can be returned before Christmas break.

black/chevron reversible wrapping paper - Walmart

Yuletide letters, 3x4 card (patterned paper), Atlas silver Thickers

3. Include treats or quiet activities with the books. Sometimes the kids need an incentive to listen quietly, and treats do the trick ;). Sometimes the really good stories are long, and having coloring pages to quietly work on can keep hands busy while ears are open. If you're willing to put forth a little more effort, coordinate the treats/activities to the stories. For example, we read one book about a lump of coal. In that package I include chocolate candies that are wrapped in black foil to look like coal.

4. Include books for every level of reader in your home. Having the kids read is one of my favorite parts of this tradition. To make it work for everyone, include books that are the kids' levels. For example, there are a few easy readers in our countdown for my first grader.

5. Want to purchase inexpensive books for your countdown? Try Thriftbooks.com. I bought at least a dozen new stories at this site last year and was very happy with them. I'm not an affiliate, just a happy customer. Used bookstores are great, too!

silver polka dot wrapping paper - Hobby Lobby

6. Provide a crate or large basket for unwrapped books to remain throughout the season. Your family will probably want to read some of the stories again, plus the Christmas books make great decorations.

I'm excited to read tonight with my family! Which reminds me, I need to get some cozy blankets and pillows ready. Oh - and the camera! I need a photo of us reading for the December mini album I'm making. Have you seen Pink Paislee's countdown book? So cute! I'll be sharing my December pages here on the Pink Paislee blog throughout the month. Thanks for visiting and have a great day! Tessa