Life at The Cottage.

December Daily!

I received my Studio Calico December Project Life kit the other day and decided to use the contents to create and dive into my first December Daily documenting our daily life during the busy month of December.... For my album, I used one of a series I bought on a close out at your local photo shop.  Perfectly sized for me not to be overwhelmed with this project!

I began by adding a cover page and caught up with images from our Christmas card photo shoot (taken by my neice Claire <3), Ellas TCS Christmas Concert at school and going on the hunt for our tree... love documenting these simple memories that I treasure.

Hope you are enjoying the holidays too.  Thanks for popping by :)   ~Rita

I'm back to memory keeping and I owe it all to Project Life....

Hello fellow crafing friends,   I'm blowing away the dust over here and waving hello!   It sure has been a while but I'm happy to say that my craft room is organized and I'm so excited to be back in the crafting mode and on a mission to catch up on my families memory keeping.

When I discovered the Project Life system this year, I have to admit it was like a breath of fresh air and suddenly the overwhelming feeling of "how on earth can I possibly catch up" felt lifted and I could see the light at the end of that tunnel.

The first thing I did was order a Core Kit and decided on the Colbalt Collection mostly because it was the brightest and most colorful I could find.  I loved it!   About the same time I was heavy into posting and builing my Instagram account and decided to order hard copies of all my everyday photos I post on here from Foxgram Prints.  Everything seemed to arrive around the same time and my creative energy was on high drive!

I immediately dug in and decided to start forward with 2013.  I plan to do catch up in between keeping up with the current.  Again, Project Life makes this easy!!!

After I was on a roll and just continued to start building this album.... so.much.fun!

I have sinced joined the comraderie and inspiration over at Studio Calico and was lucky to start getting their monthly Project Life mini kits!    These are so well put together and include so many fun journal cards and elements to do a bunch of pages!  Here are a few I've done with some recent kits:

I look forward to sharing more of my Project Life as my albums and pages progress.  In the meantime, please share links to your blogs & galleries so I can be inspired by you!

Thanks for stopping by  ~Rita

 

 

 

 

oh, a book!

After I stopped blogging last year,  some of my work was published in a fun new book writen by Sherry Stevenson called  Scrapbookers Embellishment Handbook. 

Since the book is now well available for purchase,  I'll share some of the layouts I contributed to the book.  I had fun working on these using guidelines from Sherry (fabric, tags, fibers, metal, chipboard & letter stickers).   Thanks for popping by and also for sharing some inspiration links on my last post :)

 
 
  

Spring brings change.

It's spring (or at least it feels like it here in NH this week).  Sunny, cool, breezy spring.  It has been over a year since I updated my blog and as Spring tickles me in this new year, so does making some creative changes around here!

I'm in need of some serious inspiration to jazz up this old dusty blog.   Please, if you stop by,  leave me a little note and maybe a link or two of a blog that you enjoy reading or get inspired by.   I'd love to check them all out (as well as yours!) Thanks for stopping by and Happy Spring!

Bittersweet.

Hello bloggy friends :)    The weather has been getting so nice here in NH.   It is such a treat to have the windows open and hear the birds chirping.   We have always had a bird or two nest here at the cottage, but this is the first year that a Little Miss Peepster has decided to nest..... on our front door!   Seriously, could she have picked a busier place?

 The kids think this is the coolest thing ever and have fun watching her busy herself every morning up there in that window.   No eggs yet, however.  Which makes me wonder if she made this one just for the attention and decided to lay her eggs at another secret nest under the deck?  Smart.

So, I titled this post Bittersweet.

Bitter because this will be my last month working with Jenni Bowlin Studios :(   It makes me sad, but I have to remember that this was my choice.   I decided to resign my post on the design team mostly because my life is too completely hectic with the shop, kids and trying to keep up our home.  Me = Sad :(   I can't thank Jenni and everyone over at JBS for all their generosity and kindness over the past couple of years.   I will forever love all ofJenni Bowlin's products and cant wait to follow along with all the new and exciting things that are coming to her site.....

Which brings me to the Sweet part.  Huge new and  exciting things are happening over at JBS this month (including a complete web make-over and new name!) as well as some awesome new talent that is joining the team!!   You will be able to follow all the action over at the Inspirational Blog!  

Here are the pages I made using the amazing May Kit from JBS.  It was such a gorgeous fun kit to play with!  

 

 

 

...and finally a page I made to Thank Jenni and everyone at JBS for the wonderful experience I have had with them all.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I may not be designing for you anymore....but I will be stalking!!! :)

 

Thanks to you for popping by and, just so you know, I will still be creating stuff and would love to share when i do.  I have a bunch of blog "catch up" to do, so leave me a comment which allows me to easily link to your blog so I can say HI!    *mwah*~! 

Cupcakes for Jenni!

Happy Birthday to Jenni Bowlin over at Jenni Bowlin Studios!   We are celebrating over at the Studio blog, so please join us to wish her a good old fashioned Happy Birthday!   Her products are delectable and monthly kits, devine!   I encourage everyone to try her monthly kits if you haven't already.  You will be so thankful you did!

  

Thank you, Jenni, for creating such a wonderful company for us all to enjoy and such fabulous goodness for us all to create with!   Happy birthday dear, friend.  xo

Spring has sprung...and so has a new shop!

Hellloo bloggy friends :)   Soooooo...... It's been a while.   I've missed having the time to pop in over here and say hello.   HELLO!

I finally got my little shop, Details, re-opened!  yay.  It was a long couple of months with all the painting, remodeling and new displaying,   but I am so glad to say, it was all worth it.   We had our Grand re-Opening last Saturday and it was so fun!   So many peeps came out to see the new shop and I am just thrilled to finally be back into my "regular routine" as Mom and Shopkeeper :)

Here are a few photos showing the "transformation" and a little peek into what I've been up to over the past few months.....

BEFORE:

 

AFTER: (at our ribbon cutting on opening day :)

 

BEFORE: (inside of shop)

   

       

AFTER: (various views after all remodeling!)

   

   

     

I really love how it turned out.  We ripped up those gawd awful carpets and put down a light wood Pergo flooring, along with about 10-12 gallons of crisp white paint.  What a difference.  It is very bright and cheery in here now.   I am having so much fun re-connecting with my customers and seeing so  many faces again that I had missed over past few months :)

Let's see...OH.  The last time I posted it was a snowy snow day and the mailman had brought me a fabulous new Jenni Bowlin kit!    Although I havent had a lot of time to scrap lately, I did manage to squeeze out a couple of layouts that I had fun making.    I'm looking forward to getting back on track with my favvy hobby over the next couple of months.  Anywho,  here are a couple pages I made from that awesome pile o stuff laying on the table in my last post.....

 

   

 

Snow Day = Happy Mail Day!

The kids were suppose to be back at school today (and me back at the shop project!)  after a week of February vacation... however, we are all home with  12 inches of fresh powder on the ground, and  another 6-8 expected through the day..... *sigh*  ....that's March in NH for ya.

 Alex convinced hubby  O to drive him and a couple friends up to King Pine  for some fresh powder action (not that it was too hard to twist his arm ;) ....and my neice Claire, Ella & I stayed back for some snow bound hangin'...  playing dress up,  theatre,  baking cookies.....

 

I just set the girls up for a card making project, when the door bell rang.    It was Mr. Mailman treking through the snow  (they really do make it through rain, sleet, snow or hail in these part of the woods).... to bring me Happy Mail!   The kind that will fill the rest of this snow bound day with crafty goodness.  Thank you Mr. Mailman... Thank you Jenni Bowlin!

 

Winter Fun

We have been having a blast with all this snow that's arrived here in NH.  Now, mind you, I'm getting a bit tired of it...but the kids are not.  They love being out skiing, tubing, and sledding.  Last weekend we got about 2 more feet and since then it's been warming up a bit, making me think that may be the last of the big storms.   Spring around the corner? Maybe... 

 

 

Oliver & I have been busy putting the final touches on the construction side of the new shop.  Next week starts all the pricing, unpacking and displaying.  I am hopeful that we are on target for a March 15th grand re-opening.   It will be nice to get the cash registers ringing again ;)

I'm so excited about all the new and fabulous things that are going on at Jenni Bowlin Studios!   She had such a successful show at winter CHA .     The design team has joined hands and started a new inspirational blog that will feature ideas, inspiration, contests and give aways each month!   There is some exciting things in the works, so be sure to add the link to your favorites!!    Speaking the the JBS design team,  I was so thrilled to see the amazing work of Paula Gilarde featured as the February guest designer!    Paula has always been one of my favorite scrappers and has become a great friend through the years.  Congrats *Paula* !!!     Oh, and one last linky poo for all you JBS fans.... If you are on facebook and havent joined the newJBS group over there,  do it now!    There are lots of fun things in the works for that, too!

Gotta run for now, but I will leave you with a few tidbits I created using the amazing February kit at JBS. ...

 

 

 

 

As always, thanks for popping by and saying hello.   Looking forward to spending a bit of time over the next few days checking in with your blogs.  I need to catch up!!!  Toodles for now. xo

Blame it on Facebook...

That's where I've been when I've had some cyber social time lately.  Sorry blogging peeps.  If you are on facebook (which I know alot of you already are) Friend me!  Rita Weiss.  hee...kinda like Beer Me! gawd I crack myself up.  SO......

I just returned from Chicago where I attended the fabulous Style Max show.  It was my first fashion/accessory trade show and I must say, I was overwhelmed.    There were so many cool companies and lines that I would love to add,  but alas,  I am on a budget and therefore must make choices.  ug.

So, I narrowed it down to some basics.  Cute sundresses, fab hats and cute basics.  I got some adorable novelty stuff as well as some classic cut cover ups, jackets and sweaters.   My favorite part was picking out the sundresses.  I can just imagine doing up the windows for Spring!    

Decided on mannequins and will go with a basic french style.  No heads (thank god. they were creeping me out).   The designs of them are simple with pinnable bodies.  

I am very inspired by the windows and display teams at Antropologie.  I took a million illegal photos when we were out in Ohio for the holidays and have spent a lot of time studying them.   They are amazing and that company sure knows what they are doing.  I'm never opposed to surrounding yourself with people and places that inspire you.   

I love this little piece I read recently by an observer about the Anthropologie target market:   The women were all physically different, ranging in attractiveness, size and age from early 20’s to late 40’s, a common aesthetic soon emerged. They all looked girlish and freshly scrubbed, with clean hair—any one of them seemed like she might smell good, perhaps of citrus or floral. They all seemed smart and well-read. Each had a thing to set them apart from the pack: a studded leather purple purse, a pair of delicately embroidered ballet slippers, a leather wallet in dark chocolate that looked like it was embossed in some far-flung exotic place by some amazing street artist.    Could this person possibly see into the future and be describing a quick people watching moment at the new Details?  Fabulous!

 

I've been taking photos of the new shop and it's undergoings and plan to post as we near completion.   What a task, but I'm having a ball with it and the challenge.   So, speaking of my obsession of late with Anthro,  I was totally inspired by one of their displays to create this recent scrappy page I made with the January Jenni Bowlin kit.   One entire wall was covered in these handmade paper butterflys.  I mean, there must have been a million of them.  It was awesome.  Anyway, I made a few and created this page about Ella and Pip. 

Oh, then there's my fabulous neice, Claire who loves to be part of my scrappiness.....

 

Thanks for popping by sweet friends!   xo