After getting upset whenever I brushed her hair, I suggested to Zoe that we cut her hair short. This was a few days ago. This morning she asked me to cut it short, and I told her to think about it for awhile. She kept asking over and over and over, so I finally decided to cut it at her request.

I made her take before and after pictures, as I've never cut her hair shorter than her shoulders. Here is the before:

We were woken up this morning by our landlord banging on the door telling us to turn on our water so the pipes didn't freeze - the power was out. It was only out for a few hours, which normally wouldn't be that bad, except that it was -16 outside. Yep. By the time we took Ryan to school around 10, it had warmed up to a balmy -3.  So we are spending our days inside and snuggled up.

Which has it's benefits. I've been organizing and crafting for the past week, which lead me to make this project.

I loved this layout by April Foster at Studio Calico, and wanted to use Noah outline stamps.

I used a TON of different mist colors, but instead of spraying them directly, I sprayed a bit on wax paper and watered them down a bit, and "painted" the butterflies with a Q-tip. It took a few hours, but I really like the result.

I've also got some sneaks of some Elle's Studio projects, using her BRAND NEW patterned papers. I've been waiting forever it feels like for Elle to put out 12x12 papers, and I couldn't be more excited about the new lines.


You can see the full lines on the Elle's Studio Blog.

XOXO,
Holly & Co.

This month I was scrapping on the road.
Thanks to my dear friend, Aly, for letting me use some adorable photos of her kids this month.





































I've got another page to share for this month, but I'm still working on some finishing touches so watch for it in the next few days!

Super excited to share a secret I've been keeping for awhile now...



I've been asked to be part of the Elle's Studio Design Team for the first half of 2013! I've been a huge lover of Elle's products for years now, and I can't wait to get working on my projects!

Have you seen the new stamp sets? Gorgeous right?!

Favorite Quilt:  Ellie's Quilt
Not only was this quilt for a special friend and her bundle of joy, but it was the first quilt I quilted on my machine, and I had such a fun time making it.

Last year I attempted Project Life. I succeeded for a few weeks/months, but got so far behind and busy, things just kind of fell apart. The last few weeks with all the holidays and family events, I'm really regretting quitting in 2012. I think I might even go back and do a month in review type spread.

But in retrospect, I really didn't have a good plan. I didn't have specific products to use, or a specific idea of what I wanted to include each week. This year, I signed up for the Studio Calico Project Life kit to help with organizing the products. I will be using that kit almost exclusively and adding in things if need be.

Our church time will also be changing, giving me some extra time each Sunday to work on my page(s). I'm going to have a few review type pages and favorites each month, as I love looking back at those. I'll be using more digital elements as well.

I've made more calendar digital stamps. Each one will be released the first of the month, so check back for the downloads. I changed the font to a more universal one. Previews below and you can find the download links on the freebies page :)

Thanks Annalee for letting me use your sweet pup!

This year as I've thought about what I wanted my one little word to be, so many came to my mind.
It was unclear for a long time which way I wanted to go with mine.

This year my word is:




Grow in knowledge as I return to school;
Grow in my role as a mother and wife in our household;
Grow in spiritual stature;
Grow in my artistic endeavors;
Grow with grace.

This past year as we've dealt with our infertility journey, I really had some rough days, which allowed time to take stock of my life and what I want out of it. As we put that part of our lives on hold for now, I have a unique opportunity to focus on several other areas of my life.

Returning to school is huge for me. It's something I've circled around the past couple years as we have lived in Rexburg, but has never worked out due to schedules, work or other demands. But this is my year to make that a priority, and I couldn't be more nervous/excited.

With Zoe heading into Kindergarten this coming Fall, I have so much I want to teach her before then. I've made some preliminary plans to help her with reading and writing, as well as enroll her in some activities, to help her flourish on her own.

I want our household to have more function and more purpose, hoping to include more family activities and specific events, just with the three of us, even with our busy schedules.

This past year I've grown closer to God. I've relied heavily on faith and hope to get me through the days when my heart just won't stop breaking. I've clung to Priesthood blessings, my Patriarchal blessing, and scriptures full of promises to help light the way of my future. I want so much more of that in 2013. I want my spirituality to be even more a part of my day.

I've been given some amazing opportunities creatively for the upcoming year, some I've announced already, and some I'm still holding onto, waiting for the right time to share. I can't wait to take my creative projects to the next level.

Life is hard. It is. We all have moments, hours, days or weeks that shake us. I feel like my personal growth in 2012, took a long break or even shrunk back a little, making me afraid to do the things I wanted to do.
But this year, I want to grow.

If you are doing one little word this year, I'd love to read you posts, leave a comment with the link!

XOXO,
Holly & CO.

2013 is a welcome relief.
It really doesn't change anything, but it feels good to close the book on 2012.

I rang in the New Year without Ryan and Zoe, which made it the first New Year's I was away from Ryan in 7 years. Today also marks the 6th anniversary of our engagement.

The night we got engaged - New Year's 2007