Kylinn at 11

My goddaughter, Kylinn, turns 11 this week. It doesn't even seem possible that the brilliant, outgoing infant I fell in love with just a few short years ago is going into middle school!

Kylinn at 11 (affiliate link)

I'm really happy with this layout. It's colorful and whimsical, just like Kylinn. What a blessing to have her in our lives! You can see Kylinn's previous 10 birthday layouts here, here, and here. I love looking back on them and watching her grow. Happy 11th, Kylinn!

40-4-Steve: Riding a Horse

Despite the fact that his college girlfriend owned a horse and Steve went with her daily to see the horse, Steve had never actually ridden a horse. For the final 40-4-Steve activity, I found an instructor nearby and signed him up for a 1-hour introductory ride. Steve did really well and thoroughly enjoyed the lesson.

40-4-Steve: Riding a Horse (affiliate link)

All in all, I consider my 40-4-Steve project a great success. And I am very happy to finally have the last layout in the album.

40-4-Steve: Ropa Vieja

Toward the end of my 40-4-Steve project, I learned about a Cuban restaurant that opened just a few miles from our home. We'd had Cuban food before, but never their national dish. We decided that eating ropa vieja from an authentic Cuban restaurant would absolutely qualify as a valid 40-4-Steve item.

Ropa Vieja (affiliate link)

Of course, we ordered way too many different things. It is way too hard to choose just a few dishes when we visit a new restaurant. We liked everything we tried and enjoyed the leftovers as well. The ropa vieja was particularly delicious.

One more page to go before my 40-4-Steve project is complete!

Kit Xchange Craft, Bead + Travel Organizer

This post contains affiliate links. 

Kit Xchange recently sent me their Craft, Bead + Travel Organizer Envelope with two sizes of re-sealable storage bags. I've used many different products and hacks to organize craft supplies over the years, so I was eager to try this system. The first thing I noticed about the Organizer Envelope, besides the beautiful color (persimmon), is how high quality it is. The faux leather looks and feels very expensive. The edges are finished beautifully and the hardware is elegant. It's very professional. 

The organizer is 12.5" x 8.5" x 1" when closed, with a comfortable strap for holding it. When you unsnap it, the envelope folds open to reveal two fleece surfaces, two large zippered pockets, and a pretty black/white striped liner fabric.

The ring serves both to close the envelope and to hang it up while in use. When opened, the envelope measures 29" x 12.5".

To use the organizer, fill the re-sealable baggies with beads, jewelry, or other small craft items. The strong velcro on the back of the baggies attaches securely to the white surfaces. I used the smallest baggies (2" x 2.5") to hold seed beads. My beading tools and larger supplies fit nicely in the zippered pockets. I'll be putting findings in the larger (3.12" x 3.5") baggies.

I love how easy it is to see all my beading supplies at once. As you can see, you can easily fit five rows and six columns of baggies on each of the white surfaces. Best of all, you can constantly rearrange them as needed for different projects. 

I love my new beading organizer and can't wait to put it to the real test and travel with it! Speaking of travel, this would be great for transporting scrapbook embellishments, jewelry, sewing notions, trading pins or other small collectibles, and a whole lot more. In addition to the Envelopes, Kit Xchange also has Album Organizers. I totally want this blue one. 

Thanks, Kit Xchange!

 

40-4-Steve: Musicals

Steve and I both love musicals. We've seen a ton together, ranging from professional touring companies to community theater to films. One of my goals for the 40-4-Steve project was to see one (or more) new-to-us musicals. Mission accomplished! We saw a total of six in 2016 that neither of us had seen before.

Musicals (affiliate link)

Once again, I struggled with how to scrap this. Not only did I not have photos, but we saw six musicals in different places and on different dates. I thought about just scrapping the first one, but rejected that idea. I thought about printing out the Playbill logos for each, but that seemed weird and/or impossible for the ones we watched on film. I ended up cutting out the banner from a program from our local community theater where we have seen the majority of the musicals we've seen recently. The page is plain, but it conveys the information and is a rest for the eyes in an album with a lot going on.