Just as we got this one out, the other front tooth started to wiggle.

::Heaven help me::

I've been have so much fun digging through my stash lately. I keep finding all sorts of fun pieces that I want to use.

Zoe has actually taken an interest in scrapbooking, which is why I've really started to use my stash. She asks for supplies to use and I have to sort through the boxes of stuff I have, deciding what I am willing to share and what I'm keeping for myself.

Do you share your supplies? Or do you keep a tight guard on your boxes?

XOXO,
Holly & Co.

So you will never guess what I did last night?

Yep, I made page 1/52 for 2015.

I haven't scrapbooked in months. Yes, months.

In the Fall of 2014, we started seeing a fertility specialist which caused a chain reaction I was not ready for. These appointments, tests and procedures brought to the surface depression and anxiety, both which I've been able to cope with without medication or therapy for 10 years.

Scrapbooking and creating has been a form of therapy for me since I was introduced to it in my early teenage years. I didn't realize the therapy it provided until I was about 18 - but it has been a serious part of my life ever since then.

With the new year, goal setting and narrowing in on my one little word, I realized that in 2014, I let infertility take this special part of my life away. The creative process that I love and cherish, I had been robbed of - which is why I decided to make creative goals this year.

I decided I was going to take back the joy of creating.

So I did.

I made this page last night. I was worried that I would be lacking in layout ideas or feel lost, especially since I have been sewing so much lately. Nope. This page came together fairly quickly. I think it only took 2 episodes on Netflix. (Yes, I use episodes on Netflix to keep time. Don't you?)
I shopped my stash for this layout. It felt so good to dig through my boxes and boxes of supplies (more on that in a different post...) and find unopened sheets of stickers and uncut paper.

I have plenty of pictures from the last 7 months that haven't made it onto a scrapbook page yet, I'm anticipating that I'll reach my 52 page goal much ahead of schedule.

XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Square corners!

When we moved to Texas, we had to get a new bed for Zoe. We contemplated whether to purchase her a twin or queen size bed. Ultimately, we decided to give her our old queen mattress and purchase a new memory foam mattress for ourselves. (It was a good choice for both parties)

She adores the giant bed, and we have a nice big bed for visitors to stay in. However, we don't have extra queen size bedding. Rather than purchase new bedding, I decided to make some for her with this gorgeous fabric I've been holding onto for quite some time.

Her quilt is in the works right now. I'll share more on that when it's completed. While I was waiting on some extra fabric to arrive, I had enough scraps to start making some pillows.

Fabric: Briar Rose by Heather Ross for Windham Fabrics - it is out of print, but you can find various prints available on etsy, ebay & Fort Worth Fabric Studio

These pillows are a staple on her bed right now. They currently hold these adorable abridged and illustrated classics from the Target $1 spot.

The pattern for these pillows is available in this book. I've had it for almost two years now. I love it, but I've never made anything from it - until now!

On a side note - If you are new to sewing or are looking for easy to follow patterns, Allison Harris from Cluck, Cluck, Sew, is by far my favorite. Her designs are beautiful and clean, and her patterns are so user friendly!

As part of my One Little Word for 2015, I have a mini goal to do something creative everyday. This should be fairly easy considering I have a dedicated craft corner in my room and several projects already in the works or in mind.

While not all creativity can be quantified - for my purposes I am going to try.

Sewing

• Complete 6 quilts - this shouldn't really be that hard, considering I have 4 already in various stages on completion. 
• Sew 6 garments for Zoe - I got a serger for my birthday, and I am determined to make it worth it. I have plenty of patterns and fabric to make clothes for Zoe.
• Sew 6 garments for Myself - Last year, I sewed a dress for myself. It wasn't perfect, in fact, there are a lot of things that needed improvement in it, but, it was good enough to wear to my brother-in-law's wedding reception, and I even got a few compliments on it. This is also in effort to improve the quality of my wardrobe, making items that fit me well. View my Pinterest board of wardrobe patterns here.

Here I am in the not-so-perfect dress.

Scrapbooking

• Make 52 pages in 2015 - The reason this is a yearly goal, is I scrapbook in waves. I can complete 3 pages in a day, and then none for weeks on end, so I making this a yearly tally.
• Sort and Purge supplies - I do better with less options. I have boxes overflowing with supplies that I haven't touched in too long. Watch for some sale boxes and giveaways!

My favorite scrapbook page from 2014

It's no secret that life around here has been anything but calm lately.

2014 was a year of movement. Lots of change. Lots of adjustments. It has left me feeling weathered down. Towards the end of the year, I've been struggling with keeping my anxiety and depression at bay - something that I have had under control for 10+ years. The battle of infertility has really dominated my life and I've been too beaten down with life to really fight against those feelings.

As I spent the majority of the last day of 2014 in a car, I thought so much about what I wanted my life to look like 12 months from now. There is a lot of stuff that I need to let go of to get there. There is a lot of work that I need to do - on all fronts, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

The end goal? Peace. Being Ok with not always being Ok. Letting go of things I cannot control.

So how am I going to do that?

Well, after reading an awesome post on goal setting by my cousin, I realized I'm an action-focused person. I have made a plan about what small steps I need to take to work towards peace on all fronts.

Physical
- Exercise 3x a week.
- Drink a glass of water 1st thing in the morning and last thing at night

Emotional
- Meditate 2x a week.
- Keep a Journal

Mental
- Do something creative 1x a day
- Read/Listen for 30 minutes a day

Spiritual
- Read/Listen to scriptures 30 minutes a day
- Visit the Temple once a month

By simple and small means, can we achieve great things.
This is my plan.
Small and simple. All of these things are doable for me.

I will not be perfect, but even on my bad days, I can do these things. I have plans for other things in the future, but for now, I'm starting with this.

XOXO,
Holly & CO.

I spent the last several hours of 2014 in car. I was driving to Texas from Utah, after attending the services for my Grandfather. We spent a total of 44 hours in a car on the trip there and back, which led to a lot of time for thought and review.

This year has been really hard in a lot of ways. We have endured the loss of family members and pregnancies. We have uprooted our lives, leaving behind close friends and family. We both started new jobs, which bring challenges.

But true to my One Little Word, I chose at the beginning of 2014, it has been an adventure. I grabbed a few of my favorites from 2014 to share.

Favorite Acheivement - Ryan Graduating Cum Laude