The One with Fox's First Laugh

Fox laughed today for the very first time while we were out running errands. Best New Year's Eve present ever! He's laughed in his sleep plenty of times before, but today he was awake and conscious of what he was doing. What did the deed? We were at the recycling center and Chris was transferring water bottles from our basket to the garbage bins and Fox LOLd. I guess it was pretty funny? Can't wait for more! It's the sweetest sound ever - like music to my ears :)
HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!

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The One with Who Does Fox Look More Like?

I've been wanting to do a post like this for a long time and now I've got the baby pics of Chris I've been needing! Everyone says Fox looks more like Chris. That's fine, I think so too. But let's let pictures speak for themselves.
First thing's first, gotta cook the baby! Me in my Malm:

Fox in Me:

Chris at birth:

Paige at birth:

Fox at birth:

Chris at 3 months:

Paige at 3 months:

Fox at (almost) 3 months:

Baby Paige family picture:

Baby Fox family picture:

Chris' first Christmas:

Paige's first Christmas:

Fox's first Christmas (I didn't even get a pic of all three of us! Shame on me!):

Chris at six months:

Paige at ?? months:

Chris's baby blessing:

Fox's baby blessing:

Paige right after birth:

Fox right after birth:

Chris growing up:

Paige growing up:

Fox growing up:

So who do you think Fox looks more like?

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The One with Little Boy Layouts

I received the Little Boy line by Echo Park Paper Co. to play around with months ago and I finally found the time and mojo to make not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE layouts! Go me :)



SLEEPING FOX
Tips & tricks: I watched (or rather listened to) Fringe season 2 whilst scrapping these layouts. It's my favorite new show. Looooove it. Like LOST and X-Files combined. Anyways, about the layout - I cut and punched shapes and designs from patterned paper, sewed them together in strips, and then adhered them on my background kraft cardstock. I sewed them first before putting them on my layout because if I adhered them first it breaks my sewing machine because of the stickiness. To add more texture and interest I cut and punched border strips from kraft cardstock and adhered them between the patterned paper borders. I added some journaling, pictures, a Thicker title, and that's that!
Journaling says: "They" say babies are supposed to sleep 18 hours a day but we're lucky if Fox sleeps for more than 20 minutes at a time! Hopefully it means he's taking in his surroundings and will be super duper smart. And, he may not take long naps during the day, but I can't complain about his night time routine. Lately he's been going to bed at 8pm and waking up at 3am and 5am. We're getting there!
Supplies: Kraft cardstock: Archiver's; Patterned paper, scalloped border sticker: Echo Park Paper Co.; Buttons, foam letter stickers, pen, adhesive: American Crafts; Sewing machine: Brother; Thread: Coats & Clark; Paper cutter, scissors, pinking shears, punches (star, bracket border, scalloped border): Fiskars; Hole punch: Office supply


JUST DAYS OLD
Tips & tricks: I took out all the shapes from a chipboard sheet and then used the negative space on my layout. I sewed around each shape and then backed the holes with photos and patterned paper. Then I put a button in the center of each, of course. Love me some buttons! I made a border around the chipboard sheet using a scalloped border sticker and paper strips trimmed using border punches and decorative scissors. The journaling spot is cut from patterned paper and then I embellished around it using a train sticker and a star punched from patterned paper.
Journaling says: Finally you were born! I held you in my arms and squeezed you so tight - the moment I'd been looking forward to for 9 months!
Supplies: Cardstock, buttons, chipboard letter stickers, pen, adhesive: American Crafts; Patterned paper, journaling spot, stickers (letters, scalloped border, train): Echo Park Paper Co.; Chipboard sheet: Imagination Project; Sewing machine: Brother; Thread: Coats & Clark; Paper cutter, scissors, pinking shears, punches (bracket border, star): Fiskars


THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW YOU WERE BORN
Tips & tricks: First I staggered letter stickers down the left side of my cream background cardstock to create the title. Then I used chipboard frames to frame my pictures - some of the frames I had to cut the holes out myself and trimmed a few down to make them smaller. I numbered each photo so you know where to go next to read the journaling - and they're also in chronological order.
Journaling says: After going to a routine doctor appointment she said I was dilated to 4 cm and 90% effaced. Then she stripped my membranes (without telling me...) and we headed to the hospital because I was bleeding so much. Of course the traffic was horrendous! But I wasn't in pain so it was okay. We got to the hospital and parked in Labor & Delivery then I got wheelchaired up to L&D. They hooked me up to monitors, admitted me, then I got transferred to the birthing suite. My contractions weren't ever painful until they broke my water (after almost sending me home after my labor stopped overnight). Once the contractions started hurting I got the blessed epidural. After a couple hours I was ready to have a baby! I'll always remember watching The Price Is Right right before I started pushing. Just a half hour of pushing and Fox was born with a full head of hair. He got a perfect score on the Apgar :) The doctor immediately put him on my chest and there he stayed for over an hour and we bonded. I'll never forget these precious moments!
Supplies: Cardstock, pen, adhesive: American Crafts; Stickers (airplane, cars, letters, numbers): Echo Park Paper Co.; Chipboard frames: Maya Road (heart), Scenic Route Paper Co. (squares), Tim Holtz (scalloped oval and rectangle, tag, ticket); Paper cutter, scissors: Fiskars


OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
Tips & tricks: I punched about (20) 3" scalloped circles from patterned paper, put a 2" cardstock square in the center of each, and folded up the exposed sides around the square to create fancy squares. I adhered them in a diamond pattern and then sewed them down. I cut (4) 2" square photos and put them in between the diamonds. I made a happy and fun assorted Thickers title and then sprinkled on some buttons. Oh and I wrote some journaling around the zigzags of the first row of diamonds. This is prolly my favorite layout of the bunch.
Journaling says: It's amazing to think that these fingers and toes have an entire life ahead of them. Their potential is so amazing! Where will you go, what will you do, what will you become? Only time will tell!
Supplies: Cardstock, buttons, letter stickers, adhesive: American Crafts; Patterned paper: Echo Park Paper Co.; Sewing machine: Brother; Thread & Coats; Scalloped circle punch: Marvy Uchida; Paper cutter, scissors: Fiskars


SAWING LOGS
Tips & tricks: I drew a heart on a scrap of cardstock, punched a million 1" squares from patterned paper, covered the heart in adhesive, covered the heart with the punched squares, and then trimmed it back to the heart shape. I zigzag stitched it to my green cardstock background. Don't look too closely at the stitching, my sewing machine is messed up :( I cut the journaling spots out from patterned paper, adhered them around the edges, and then cut off the excess. I added a Thicker title, framed the heart and title with some pinked patterned paper strips, then finished with some journaling.
Journaling says: The first time my mom (Malm) said, "Fox is sawing logs!" I was like, "What does that mean?" She asked if I was serious... I felt silly. Apparently sawing logs means 'in a deep sleep.' I asked Chris if he knew what 'sawing logs' means and he did know. Of course :) Now I say Fox is sawing logs all the time. Oh wait, he never sleeps...
Supplies: Cardstock, chipboard letter stickers, pen, adhesive: American Crafts; Patterned paper, journaling spots: Echo Park Paper Co.; Sewing machine: Brother; Thread: Coats & Clark; Paper cutter, scissors, pinking shears, square punch: Fiskars

It feels so good to scrap again!

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The One with the Snooze Fest

I woke up from a nap and came out into the living room to the sweetest scene:

Complete snooze fest!

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The One with Christmas 2010

We set up the Christmas tree and decorations the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I asked my mom to send me the stockings that she made for us so many years ago that they're the only stockings I ever remember using. Now they're vintage (and have a funny smell from all the different kinds of candy placed in them over the years...). They have a special place in my heart from my childhood and I'm so glad I get to keep using them!


Apparently I've claimed this one (the far left one) as my own back in the day:
Chris uses the far right one and Fox uses the middle one.

Other decorations around the house include a nativity set:

Pine cones picked up by my Grandma Cathie:

And lots of paper stars/flowers I made last year:


This Christmas I got a few gifts in particular that I'm soooo excited about. First, I saw a vintage block frame on etsy that had a fox on it, but it was sort of haphazardly put together. Instead of getting that exact frame my dad suggested he make one himself. After unknowingly winning some vintage blocks on ebay, I then sent him a link to some more vintage blocks. $80 of vintage blocks later (I'm sure he'll laugh about it in the future)....he created a frame and names for us:


Love them! And now I have an entire basket full of leftover blocks for future craft projects :)

The other present I'm super excited about is this:

It's the first volume of my blog turned into a book!

It's mighty fun having my blog in physical form.

I've already "made" the other volumes. It takes about three books per year so I have 5 (will be 6 on the new year) books in my "cart" for Chris to get me for birthdays, mother's days, Christmases, etc.

Love it love it love it. I feel like an author :) It was sooo easy to create too. Just go to blog2print.com and type in your blog URL, the dates you want to print, press enter, and it creates it for you!

Here is Mr. Fox on Christmas:

He's so cute.

And here he is today:

One more week of vacation for Chris!

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The One with Christmas Inspiration

We were supposed to be in Denver for Christmas this year. But when Fox got sick the doctor x-nayed our travel plans so we stayed here and had our first Christmas as Evans Party of Three. Last night we opened one gift each. Chris got me a Christmasy DVD and I got him a Mad Gab/Picto Gab card game. We were having fun sounding out the clues and laughing it up. Then we came across this card:

I laughed soooooo hard I cried. (It says, "Ten 'fork' Holler Auto = Denver, Colorado). As if we weren't missing family enough we had to be reminded of it! Haha. It was a classic moment we'll always remember.

I know Christmas is officially over in just a couple hours, but blog posts are permanent so here are just a few Christmas-y things I love:
Light strands in the shape of a Christmas tree from A Merry Mishap:

Easy to make Christmas banner:

Super cute Fox ornament from Terrain (not available anymore sadly). (Thanks for the link Amy!)

Jen's weimaraner Gryffin covered in twinkle lights.

Advent calendars from Pottery Barn.



Fox stocking from an etsy seller that I can't find anymore because it probably sold because it's soooo cute! (Thanks for the link Jill!)


Adorable Christmas cards by Rifle Paper Co.

Foxy wintery sleeper from Old Navy - you can bet Fox got this for Christmas! (Thanks for finding and sharing Nichole!)

Might have to make these for our Xmas card next year! Source.

Dalalalald puuuhhhhlllleeeeaaaaaazzzzeeee make me some of these scrap wood trees! From Wood & Wool Stool.



A fun way to jazz up a present, especially with a die cutting machine like a Cricut!

Now that I have a child I'm starting to think about fun crafts we can do in the future. This one definitely tops my list. Idea from Ashley Ann. (It's a painted hand snowman ornament!)

Bottles full of light from Design Mom. Purdy!

Hope your Christmas Day was magical!

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