enJOY it by Elise Blaha Cripe

quilted floor pillows.

So, I think it's seeing Ellerie on her quilt all the time, but all I want to do craft related these days is pull a bunch of patterned fabrics and make another triangle quilt. I am finding myself so excited for fall and winter where having piles of blankets everywhere is a good thing. But right now - we don't need another blanket so I am turning my quilting energy into other sewing projects.

First up were a pair of quilted floor pillows. I am quickly learning that having a little one equals extra time on the floor and so I decided to go with large 24x24 pillow covers. I wanted these to "match" the TV room without coordinating exactly. I looked around and realized that was going to mean tan, light teal, black and white and coral. Those colors were not quite enough so I pulled the purple and turquoise inspiration from the pinwheel painting that also hangs in the room.

I wandered Jo-anns until I had found the right set of fabrics. I ended up going with flannel because it had a better heft to it and I love the texture. Unlike the triangle quilts I love to make, this project involved no measuring and free-hand cutting. I cut my flannel into strips and sewed the strips together so I had two full pieces.

Then I cut the pieces into triangles and sewed them together on the diagonal. Thanks to my lack of measuring, I ended up with not quite enough fabric to cover the front of the pillow so I used some remnants to add the extra diagonal on the corner. Turns out that part is my favorite part.

I quilted them with batting so there was even more weight and cushion to the tops. I didn't have a plan for the backsides, but always figured I could go with a black canvas... until I was at Ikea and saw their black striped fabric. It's heavy-weight like most Ikea fabric and the colors were almost perfect with that I had going on the front. I added zippers to both covers because I am also learning that everything we own needs to be washable these days.

There were probably 100 ways to make these easier (like measuring!), and they took me over a week from start to finish, but I am so happy with them. Ideally, I'll get a few more floor pillows sewn before Ellerie is up and toddling around. I have a feeling we'll need to cover the fireplace ledge.

And speaking of the fireplace, we took the grill off and it totally opened up the space. I added a bunch of pillar candles (also from Ikea) and love the look.

project life 2013 : week 33 + a giveaway.

It's week thirty-three and I love this project.

click the photo to enlarge for a somewhat clearer image.

Week of : August 12 - August 18.

What happened this week? We were home. Paul worked. I worked. Paul's mom and sister came to visit for a few days. Per usual, I didn't get a lot of photos during that time. It's odd, when I have people here, I tend to not take photos. I am so much more likely to have my camera out when it's just me or just us. When we have visitors I am more in the moment.

Anything special in the spread? Paul and I were able to have a "date night" since Stephanie and Kristen could watch Ellerie. I didn't get a photo of us from the date night. But we had our watch batteries replaced before we went to dinner so I took a photo of the watches and added the "story" right to that photo. 

Techniques this week : Since I was low on photos I decided to blow up this one that I love of Paul and Ellerie. It was taken with my iPhone and in PSE I converted it to black and white. iPhone photos generally are not clear enough to enlarge, but when they are in black and white it's harder to tell. :) There is a video here that talks about how I print 12x12 photos at home in pieces.

Overall thoughts : Nothing that hasn't been said.

Ratio of iPhone photos to "real camera" photos : 3 to 3.

Ratio of photos taken by Elise to photos taken by Paul : All Elise.

Supplies used : Seafoam core kit, Kelly Purkey letter stickers, Freckled Fawn wood chip arrow, Heidi Swapp letter stickers.

Tools used : Design A pocket pages, Fiskars corner rounder, Zig Millenium pen, Rotatrim paper trimmer, Office Depot date stamp, staz-on ink. All photos were printed at home on my HP Photosmart 2575 printer on Office Depot semi-gloss photo paper.

Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. I use photos, text and stuff to document our life weekly. You can see all the posts from 2012 here and 2013 here. Do you have a question about how I am tackling this project (including anything about the photos)? Check here.

Today I am hosting a giveaway for two seats in Project Life Lessons, the three week course I am teaching through Big Picture Classes with Megan Anderson and Annette Haring. The class starts on 9/5 and will focus on taking and selecting photos for your Project Life albums, adding journaling and embellishments, putting your spreads together plus so much more. You can read more about it here.

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below! This giveaway is open to anyone and two winners will be choosen at random next Sunday. GIVEAWAY CLOSED. THANK YOU! :)

around here.

Our new normal feels good.

I am waking up early when Paul gets up for work which means I have a few hours to myself before Ellerie stirs. I so appreciate the mornings and enjoy getting time for my coffee, breakfast, blog reading and email. I am now able to be completly present for her when she wakes up. I have no idea how long this schedule will last for us, but I'm celebrating it while we have it.

My parents are coming to visit this weekend. I used to look forward to their visits, but now that Ellerie is here, I feel like I count the minutes. Something about sharing your kiddo with your parents is magic, no? It's like bringing home a good grade on a test times 100. I'm excited for her to get time with them, my house to get some new shelves (new shelves = more space for plants) and Paul and I to get another dinner date. The long-term plan is to convince our families to move to San Diego. In the short-term, these weekend visits are blessings for everyone.

Have a good one.

dear ellerie / week nine.

Dear Ellerie,

This week you turned two months old. Two whole months you have been in my life. I am supposed to insert a few cliches here. I should talk about how the time has flown by in the "blink of an eye". I should say that "I cannot remember what life was like before you." I should mention that these have been the "best two months of my life." I should express interest in "freezing time."

But none of that is exactly true.

It feels like many blinks since you, pink and screaming, came into this world. I am grateful for every single one. I am glad I have had a chance to blink. I have grown so much - almost as much as you - over these past nine weeks. You have gained 4 pounds, 11 ounces and 2 inches. You have learned to smile. You have learned to lift your head. You have learned our voices. I have learned to decipher your cries. I have learned where to let go and where to commit more fully. I have learned to be a mama. My heart has both ached and soared with the responsibility. I have fallen in love with you, more every day and more with every blink.

I do remember life before you, sweet girl and it was good. Because it was so good, Dad and I decided we were ready for a baby. We hoped and prayed and wished for you. We dreamed and planned and rearranged for you. And Ellerie, oh my, how you were worth it. You have changed so many things about my days but they are still so very good. While I vividly remember the past, I cannot imagine a future - or even a day - without you in it. I am so forever changed for the better, little one, and am so thankful that you're here.

These past two months have at times been impossibly hard. There have been high highs and low lows as we have gotten to know each other. We have found and are continuing to strengthen our balance, you and I. And you are so my girl. My special, magic, beautiful girl. Our bond is exhausting and wonderful. I cannot say that these have been the "best two months of my life" but I know with absolute certainty that the brightest moments I have ever known have occurred in the past nine weeks. I am encouraged and excited because the best two months (and the best years) are still ahead of us.

The last thing I want to do is freeze time. I want to enjoy each day that we have, but I always want us to be growing. We both change a tiny bit every single day. That is exactly how it should be. I have photos to save moments and a memory to save feelings. My biggest wish for you, little one, is that you continue to grow and learn. The only way to do that is by letting the days march forward.

Ellerie, I love you from the tips of your long toes to the end of your endless eyelashes. I love your bright blue eyes. I love your round tummy. I love the folds of your thighs and the creases of your wrists. I love your easy smile and sweet voice. I love your perfect nose and teardrop shaped birthmark. I love your kicking legs and conducting arms. I love your faint blonde eyebrows and tiny oval fingernails.

I love you, my gorgeous girl. Thank you for being patient with me these past two months. Thank you for giving me such bright moments. I couldn't start this letter with the cliches but I can end with one; the best, for sure, is yet to come.

yours forever, Mama.

40 pizzas / chorizo & jalapeno.

pizza no. 18 : chorizo & jalapeno.

occasion : it's a last hurrah before I try a semi-paleo-inspired diet (I'm currently attempting to go without or with just a little bread, pasta, sugar, cheese & peanut butter).

crust : our whole wheat usual.

sauce :  enchilada sauce from trader joe's.

cheese : yellow and white cheddar.

toppings : grilled onion, chorizo, sliced jalapenos, fresh garlic & salsa.

thoughts : we recently went out to dinner and tried a very similar pizza. Both of us were excited to replicate it at home. It's a pretty easy one to throw together because you don't have to "make" anything. The sauce is in a jar & the chorizo is pre-cooked so really you just need to build this one. We put the enchilada sauce down first, then the cheese then the toppings. The salsa was a fresh one from the deli section at our local market and we poured a bit of that on top. Awesome spicy flavor to this one. It might be my new favorite.

ps... that broccoli salad in the third photo is this one.