Project Life 2012 | Week Twelve

March 27, 2012 By

project life week 12

First of all, round of applause for me for sticking to this for twelve entire weeks. That is exactly eleven weeks and six days longer than I stuck to my I-swear-I’m-going-to-stick-to-this housekeeping routine.

Second of all, Jeff and I are speaking to one another, contrary to how it appears on this layout. I am unsure as to why I positioned the silhouettes facing apart instead of facing one another. I feel as though it may have had something to do with the fact that I was attempting to hurriedly affix all tiny elements to my page as my child ripped my beloved sheets of Making Memory Tiny Alphabets to shreds. To shreds, y’all.

Which is better than a few weeks ago when she ate a Tiny Alphabet sticker. Scarlette likes to sit in my lap while I scrapbook and hand me things. She also gave a hearty attempt at eating a sheet of Hambly Overlays. Apparently it’s not just Jeff that thinks they smell delicious. Nothing was ingested during this crafting session so I call that a win.

Scarlette is to my scrapbook supplies as Godzilla is to New York City. You are welcome for that fine example of analogous relationships. That right there is proof that yes, your SATs do matter and you will use them in real life. But they’re all lying to you about math. You’ll never use math. You’ll just use your iPhone.

I edited on of my favorite digital elements so that I could add a quote from the Hunger Games and then stapled our movie tickets on to it. The good news is that we really enjoyed the movie. The bad news is that I hope Scarlette doesn’t plan on pursuing a higher education because we had to empty her college fund to pay for popcorn.

I’ve kept the butterfly theme throughout and the bottom left corner is my favorite. But enough about scrapbooking. There are more pressing issues at hand. Such as: what did you think of The Hunger Games?

Project Life In Progress: Title Page, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12  (In case you are wondering, my pages that include too much personal information or nekkid baby photos don’t get posted online, which is why some weeks are missing!)

I’m linking up with Jess at The Mom Creative today – I’m hoping to catch up on commenting on everyone’s pages!

Here are the supplies I used (some affiliate links included)

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GIVEAWAY | The Blog Book

October 26, 2011 By

How To Make Money Blogging
It’s finally here! I’ve been working on this little project for such a long time and I’m so excited to share it with you. The Blog Book is a 70 page e-book that I’ve written answering all of the questions that I am frequently asked about blogging.

The Blog BookIn this e-book I cover topics such as branding your blog, growing your readership, how to get good (free!) press, creating content and the most frequently asked question: how to make money from blogging.

This little book is a labor of love. Once upon a time I wanted to learn about how bloggers are able to make an income from their blogs and so I went to a blog conference about it. Want to know what I learned at that conference? To charge bloggers to attend a blog conference about how to make money blogging- but then only give them vague advice that isn’t really helpful at all. I was completely bummed.

In writing this e-book, I wanted to make sure I covered that subject in-depth. I got a little verbose. There are twenty pages just about that topic. I’ve linked all of the resources you will need to get you directly connected to several advertising networks, affiliate programs and brands that offer blogger review programs. In addition, I’ve added in a breakdown of my own blogging income so that you can see what the numbers looks like in real life.

The book also contains worksheets and a bonus editorial calendar, as well as 52 writing prompts to jump start your blog posts. And a leprechaun. Just kidding. It doesn’t have a leprechaun. But it is magically delicious.

Because I like to try before I buy, you can CLICK HERE to read a free excerpt from the e-book. It’s all about  how to generate blogging  income by using affiliate links, with tips, tricks and direct access to several sites to get you started.

In addition, I’ve set up an affiliate program so that if you help me spread the word, you will make 50% of every e-book sold through your affiliate link! Seriously. Your support means a ton to me.

The introductory price is just $5 because I want to make it super accessible to y’all. I mean, I’m on  a budget and I know a LOT of you are too!

purchase The Blog Book

You can learn more and see the full table of contents + the bonus calendar and sneak peeks HERE.

So today’s giveaway is for a copy of the e-book + a $5 gift card to Amazon.com (just because those are fun!)

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How To: Make A Piggy Bank From Formula Cans

August 23, 2011 By

Studio Calico Altered Piggy BankWe have about 4,839 empty cans of formula lying around our house.  Okay, I’m guesstimating. But we have way too many since I’ve yet to drive them over to the recycling center. And since they are cans of Scarlette’s special prescription formula,  I can’t justify throwing  them out because they cost a fortune. How much? Trust me, you don’t want to know. You could pay rent with what we pay for formula each month. Did that make you feel a little queasy? Yeah, me too.

Studio Calico sent over their August kit for me to play with and I decided to make some piggy banks as Christmas gifts for my best friend’s little girls. The irony of creating piggy banks out of the world’s most expensive formula cans does not escape me.

And then because I still had 4,837 empty formula cans left, I made some pencil holders and a couple of little vases as well. Here is a quick tutorial on how to make them!

Studio Calico Altered Can Tutorial

1) Find an empty formula can. A can of cheese balls would work too, not that I eat way to many cans of processed cheese balls or anything. Basically, any can that doesn’t have a sharp rim inside. Safety first, kiddos.

2) Tear off the packaging. Then measure the can and cut your patterned paper accordingly. I always cut a scrap piece of paper first to make sure that my measurements are correct before I mess up my pretty papers. This is because I am terrible at measuring.

3) Brush a layer of glue onto the can. I used Martha Stewart Glitter Glue because that stuff sticks really well and I like the brush applicator. That Martha, so crafty.

4) Wrap your paper slowly around the can, smoothing as you go to make sure there are no air bubbles. I used clothespins  to hold the paper in place while it dried.

5) Then just add your embellishments! I used the chalkboard labels, stickers, baker’s twine and scalloped trim that came in the kit. Chalkboard labels = ♥ ♥ ♥. I may have gone chalkboard label crazy in the laundry room, y’all.

To create the piggy bank, I traced the lid onto some paper and then glued the paper to the inside of the lid. Since my lid was transparent, it’s still cute and that way the paper won’t curl up. I used Terrifically Tacky Tape to adhere ribbon to the outside rim. There is nothing better for adhering ribbon, IMO. Then I cut a hole in the center using an exacto knife. That’s not true. My exacto knife is buried somewhere in the basement so I used a razor blade. Don’t tell Jeff.
!

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Scarlette’s Story

June 2, 2010 By

Scarlette's StoryScarlette’s story is filled with numbers.

She was born on November 7, 2010.

It was 3.5 months before her due date.

She weighed 1 pound 8.6 ounces.

She spent 156 days in the NICU.

She came home 5.5 months later on April 12, 2011.

And all of those numerical markers just punctuate the beauty of her story, the one in which we meet our daughter and finally bring her home.

Prior to giving birth, I didn’t know that people could go into labor that early. I had never heard the term “micro-preemie.” I had never seen the inside of a NICU. I had never seen a baby with a feeding tube, let alone insert one.

I chronicled a lot of Scarlette’s story on my blog as it unfolded and I am sharing it here in hopes that it helps other families who find themselves in our situation. I had so many questions and wanted to read anything I could get my hands on when we first found ourselves staring down a lengthy NICU stay. Please feel free to email me if you have questions, I love talking to other parents with similar experiences.

You can read all of the posts I wrote about Scarlette while was in the NICU here.

You can also read the medical journal I kept while she was in the NICU, her birth story and some of the books/products I found helpful.

We’re so indescribably grateful to everyone who has kept our sweet girl in their prayers.

Photos of Scarlette – birth through present (9mos)
Please do not use without permission. (Unless you are family, Aunt Connie ;) You totally have permission)
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Kayla Aimee | About Me

June 1, 2010 By

Contact Me: Email Me

“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.”
1 Corinthians 13

Biography

A twenty-something not-so-newlywed and southern girl through and through, Kayla Aimee (you can call her KA) likes scrapbooking, Macy’s at Christmas time, and really good fitting jeans. By day she is a stay at home  mom but by night she is a blogger, scrapbooker and kick arse ping pong player.

KA and her husband Jeff reside in a charming little country town in the south. After years of infertility, they welcomed their daughter Scarlette Vonne on November 7, 2010, fifteen weeks before her due date and weighing just 1lb 9oz and brought her home on April 12, 2011.

Those shoes kind of hurt her feet. And she normally is covered in baby food. 

Everything You Never Knew You Wanted To Know About Me

Now that you’ve read the standard blog introduction, here’s the real “about me” section. I began blogging in 2005 to a wide circle of three girlfriends. I never really thought other people would read my blog, if so I might have used an alias for some of the people I blogged about, like that guy that dumped me on my birthday. Sorry about that John Cimino. I hope that doesn’t totally kill your chances with the ladies.

I’ve grown up on this blog, it’s seen me through college, a bad breakup, meeting my husband, marrying my husband, moving to Tennessee, buying our first home, dealing with infertility, and finally getting pregnant and giving birth. Our daughter was born fifteen weeks early and as I currently write this we are on day 110 120 140 150 in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit HOME!

After our experience I am incredibly passionate about providing support and resources to other parents of micro-preemies and long term NICU stays. Please check out the Preemie Resources section under the Scarlette’s Story tab for a list of websites/books/products that I found helpful and feel free to email me with any questions!

I used to be a sales and social media marketing manager for a photography website and then for a scrapbooking website and then for a real estate firm but now I am a SAHM. Scarlette’s medical issues have us under strict home quarantine for two years, which means me staying home with her? That’s kind of our only option.

So now I’m trying to pinch pennies as much as possible and prayerfully hope to make a living from writing. That’s why you see ads on this blog, because someone’s gotta buy groceries around here. I write a little e-book series on how to design and make money from blogging, which you can read here. And now I spend some time scouring the web for great deals while staying just short of becoming an extreme couponer. I hope that sharing our newfound foray into frugality is helpful to your family budget as well! Also, I share really awkward photos of my childhood. You’re welcome for that.

But mostly? Mostly this space is a bit random as it documents whatever stage of life I happen to be in.

Thanks for stopping by, I wish you knew just how much it means to me that you took the time to invest in our lives by reading my writings. It’s one of the biggest blessings in my life. Prior to having a baby I was all organized and stuff but now I’m a bit behind on my email, so please forgive me if it takes me a bit to get back to you! I reply in the comments section of each post so if you leave me a question there, that’s where you’ll find my answer!

Feel free to add me to any of your social networks, just drop me a little note to let me know you are a blog reader!

All my love,

 

This is a for-(meager) profit blog. To learn more, please read my disclosure page. Want to see some of my published scrapbooking work or find other articles I’ve written around the web? Check out my press page, which is quite possibly sorely in need of updating. See: had a baby

Photo Credit: My sweet friend Ashley of LoveLee Imagery
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