Project Life-Week 49

Week 49

We are finally catching up with postings!! This week was the first week of December which brought about our Advent calendar and lots of fun Christmas themed activities and more.

I filled a 4x6 card with a few life mantras that I have loved lately.  I did it in simple black and white because I love the contrast with all of the other colorful photos.

Amelia has started pulling up on everything.

I am in love with these amazing sparkle oxfords that we scored Amelia at Old Navy.

I made a little DIY Christmas gift with glitter :)

I am teaching my fifth grade students how to use a pottery wheel, which was hilarious since, at first, I was no good at it.

Amelia and I made cinnamon ornaments to tie onto our gifts this year and to make our house smell wonderful.
We had a nice dinner and game night at my aunt's house.
Amelia's hair is getting long enough to start using some product in it to define and condition her little baby curls.  LOVE!
Amelia had her 9 month check up with the pediatrician.
We had a snowflake making night as a family to turn our house into a little winter wonderland.
I also added a little transparent overlay into the last pocket and added a little woodcut piece to this side of it (after I took the photo of course).  I like how you can see through to the next spread with this little detail :)
Fun Fun!

xo
janel

Would you like to know more about Project Life? You can read all about it here. You can also check out more of my Project Life pages right here!

my wish list.

I have been racking my brain for months now on what I want for Christmas.  Of course there are a million little things that pop up here and there that I would like.  There have been only two things though that I really, truly want this year. 

1.  The Project Life Seafoam Core Kit.

Project Life has probably been the most amazing and most rewarding project I have ever done.  I love love love love (times a million) looking back at all of the memories I have captured this year.  Priceless I tell you.  I can not wait to get this kit into my hands so Amazon better hurry it up :)

Also, I love Elise!  Her blog is my number one favorite and her design of this kit is perfection.  

Dear Elise,

You are a genius.

Signed,

Janel

2.  Nike Flyknits.

I have wanted these since day one of the Summer Olympics.  I feel like the second I slip these babies on my feet, I will become an athlete.  Seriously, Nike has done a great job at making me think this.  I need a good pair of running shoes and these are what I have been lusting after since July.

Dear Adam,

I NEED THEM.

signed,

Janel

That's it folks. 

My tiny little Christmas list. 

I obviously received the best gift EVER already this year.

Dear God,

Thank you for Amelia.

Signed,

Janel

a little bit of snow

Last night, Adam and I made paper snowflakes together as one of our Advent activities.  Adam's snowflakes, that he makes, are my favorite.  He's so cute when he makes them.

We made about 20 different snowflakes and hung them all of over our sliding glass doors. 

With this 70 degree weather we have been having here in St. Louis, these paper snowflakes were the perfect things to make our home feel a little bit more like the Christmas spirit.

Even Amelia wanted to get in on the snowflake making! I can't wait until next Christmas when she will actually be able to help us :)

xo

janel

advent

Oh yes, it's time for our Advent Calendar tradition.  Each year Adam and I take turns creating an Advent calendar for each other.  We have done scavenger hunts, online Advents, traditional advents and more.  We love Advent and our traditions.

This year, Adam and I are doing Advent together for Amelia.  We are so excited to start all of these old and new traditions with her!  The holiday season is so much more fun for us with a little one here.

  I completely fell in love with this adorable advent calendar! 

I love this sweet little village and the color scheme is so perfect for Amelia's room. 

 I LOVE IT!

I defintiely should have used card stock as the directions said but all I had was regular printer paper on hand. It still works :)

What are some of your favorite Advent Calendar traditions?  Any fun activities to do with babies?  I would love to hear your suggestions!

xo

janel

Christmas Jammies

So, it took me about three weeks to find the PERFECT Christmas jammies for Amelia.  I wanted something classic, character-less, and something that reminded me of my childhood.  I wanted them to be cozy and sweet and Christmas-y.  After many google searches, etsy searches, and phone calls to malls, I found the  perfect little set.  It's by Laura Dare, and Im pretty sure if I could go back in time and see my sister and I's matching sets, they would be by Laura Dare too because they are just like I remember.

My amazingly talented friend, Jodie, at Fresh Art Photography, also knows the importance of the Christmas Jammies and designed a mini-session catered exactly for it!  Adam and I save our allowance for a couple of months because we knew we wanted her to document Amelia in her first pair of Christmas jammies :)

We also hoped for a perfect photo for our Christmas card this year too.

Mission Accomplished.

Here are some of the photos from our little mini-session...

and the Christmas Card shot...

This girl gets cuter and cuter every single day.  There are seriously times where I am just looking at her and I can't even comprehend how blessed I am to be her mom.

She is a joy beyond joys.

A huge thank you to Jodie, for again, capturing the Amelia in the perfect way.

xo

janel

Amelia's Christmas List

This little one wants for nothing.  We have been blessed with an abundance of toys, clothes, and books, and all of the necessities a little girl could need.  This is just a small little list I have put together of things Amelia would like for Christmas (she told me).  Her daddy wanted a wish list of things to purchase from, and here it is :)

1 Wooden Instagram Camera Toy

 2 This adorable rainbow cushion for her crib so she has something to lean against when she is playing

 3 Customizable Pen Pal kit for Amelia so she can send cute packages to her cousins

 4  I love this shirt so much.  It reminds of me of "Blackbird" and everything that that song stands for

 5  And these little onesies are just amazing and essential :)

What are some things you like for a Baby's first Christmas?

xo

janel

like a bandit.

So, although this little one has yet to make an appearance, or even give us any type of timeline, she sure made out like a bandit this Christmas!!

Out of everyone in our little family, the soon to be, scored the most gifts.

and...

Adam made an hour trip to the Eric Carle Museum while he was in Massachusetts to score tons of Eric Carle goodies for the baby (and me).  He is so sweet for surprising me with that :)  He knows that Eric Carle is my fave.  My aunt and uncle made us the A-frame tent for a little reading nook in the nursery. (project #9 is the fabric cover for it and now that I have it, I can finish taking photos of it all together to post tomorrow).

We had such a wonderful Christmas with our wonderful family.
We are blessed.

Dear Baby,

As you can see, we think about you and wish for you every single day.  I hope that you are feeling all of our blessings pouring over you wherever you are.

We love you,

M&D

Dear CHS,

We are soooo ready for The call.

Thanks,

J&;A

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks.

Project #10

I didn't forget Project #9, I just haven't finished editing those photos yet and since they are late anyway, I felt I should go ahead and post 10.

So, project #10 may be my favorite one :)

My parent's and I spent a day looking through my grandpa's old photos a couple of weeks ago.  I found so many great vintage Christmas photos and knew that I wanted to incorporate them into my Christmas decor this year.

I affixed some of my sparkle deer to clothes pins, hung up a crocheted garland and clipped on the photos. 

I adore this little display and I am sure a lot of people will enjoy seeing themselves on there, as children, when they come over tonight for Christmas Eve.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas Eve ya'll.

xo

janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks.

The Baby's Christmas List

Dear Santa,

The baby texted me :)  

Here are some things that she would love to have for Christmas.

She said they would be really nice to have for when she finally gets here...

1. Prudence the Owl, from Blabla, to snuggle
2. Orla Kiely board books to help her learn her colors and numbers
3.  The Alexander Girard Memory Game to help her cognitive development
4.  A little Kanye West in the form of a lullaby would be great for sleep time
5.  How about the cutest Christmas Stocking, hand-made by one of her favorite Californians?
6.  This sweet little Blabla rattle 
7.  A handmade quilt inspired by this one
8. and of course to be home with her new mommy and daddy.

Hopefully this isn't too much to ask Santa.
If it is, she said she would be happy with just number 8.
Thanks so much!
xo
janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks.

the tree

Christmas time is HERE!  Well, at least it is in our home :)  The weather (75 degrees) says otherwise, and truth be told, I am totally ok with that.

Every year, on November 5, I put up my Christmas tree, I can't help it!

Here is a little peek, through the eye of my iphone, of our decorations so far.

Hmmm...these photos are making me wonder where my little Christmas Putz houses are?

I also did some online Christmas shopping last night since it's free shipping over at Amazon :)  I am finding that I have no idea what I want for Christmas. Adam keeps asking me for my wish list but I seriously have nothing on it yet!

I can find a million baby things that I want for our soon-to-be or for the nursery but not a single thing for myself.  Technically, I am going to say that that is a good thing.  I have my family, I have my friends, I have a cute house, and perfect puppy, and we are all healthy.  Besides a baby, what else could a girl ask for?

Christmas Wish List:

*  a baby 

That is it for now :)

xo

janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks.

elf on the shelf

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I am sure that you all have heard about the adorable holiday tradition, Elf on the Shelf.

For those of you who haven't, here is a little synopsis from the Elf on the Shelf website.

"Have you ever wondered how Santa knows who is naughty and who is nice? The Elf on the Shelf – A Christmas Tradition is the very special tool that helps Santa knows who to put on the Naughty and Nice list. This interactive holiday hide-and-seek tradition is perfect for children and families of all ages.

The tradition begins when Santa sends his scout elves out to Elf Adoption Centers. Waiting for their families to bring them home, these patient elves hibernate until their family reads The Elf on the Shelf, gives their elf a very special name, and registers their adoption online. Once named, each scout elf will receive its Christmas magic and become a part of the family’s Christmas each and every year. 

Excellent listeners and even better observers, these scout elves are the eyes and ears of Santa Claus. Although they cannot be touched, or else they may lose their magic, the elf will always listen and relay messages back to Santa. Taking in all the day-to-day activities around the house, no good deed goes unnoticed; these scout elves take their job seriously.

Each night, after the family goes to bed, the scout elf uses his magical Christmas powers to fly back to the North Pole. Once there, the elf will make his or her daily report to Santa and visit with elf friends where they will tell stories about their beloved families, play with the reindeer, and of course, sneak some of Mrs. Claus’ cookies!

Before the family awakes each morning, their special scout elf will fly back to their home from the North Pole. However, since these elves like to play games, don’t expect to find them in the same spot!  While some like to hide in the freezer (probably because it reminds them of the North Pole) and others prefer to sit on the fireplace mantle or hang from the chandelier, these elves love to play hide-and-seek with their families.

On Christmas Eve, the scout elf will listen for Santa’s bell and then fly back to the North Pole until the next season, wishing every girl and each boy a Christmas of peace and a year full of joy. "

This is one tradition I can not wait to start!!  I purchased my very own Elf on the Shelf last year after Christmas for half off :)  I love the idea of having this playful little elf keeping his eyes and ears on our little one.  

I also LOVE the creativity behind the little elf antics that you can come up with each night after your kiddos are asleep :)

Here are some of the cutest photos that I found with "Elf on the Shelf" ideas:

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Adorable right?  I can NOT wait!  Do any of you have this tradition with your family?  What are some cute ways that you have placed your elf at night?  I would love to hear any ideas that you all have!!

Thank you.

xo

janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks.