The Belly Book

... by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is fabulous!! My friend, Heather, suggested this scrapbook journal to me after using it during her pregnancy. I am NOT a scrapbooker, but after looking at in on Amazon, I knew that I would love it. I do! I have spent the afternoon getting caught up on the first trimester. It will be so much easier to keep up with it now that I am up to date.

Favorite Features:

The curvature of the book. How stinkin' cute is this? I also like the colors. While I would like to have hot pink thrown in there, I understand that it has to be gender neutral. Still very funny!

Belly pics... hence the name. I already have an album on facebook with my weekly belly shots, but it's fun to see them in a book. One weird thing? Belly shots started at Week 1. Who knows that first week that they will be expecting? So, I don't have belly pics for Weeks 1-4. I used the positive pregnancy test for Week 4. Just found that part a little strange. I also like that there is a space below each picture to write reflections and whatnot. Fun journal!

There is also spaces for ultrasound pictures! YAY! I used my two favorite pictures from yesterday's ultrasound. I must say, our baby sure is a cutie patootie!

I look forward to completing this book. If you can't tell, we're very, very, VERY proud parents. We are looking forward to January!!

Beaded Bookmarks

A few days ago, my mom sent me a link to a new craft idea she wanted me to try. Beaded ribbon bookmarks. At first, I thought that this would be no problem at all, but as I began looking for beads, I realized that this was not an easy task. You see, it is hard to find beads with a big enough opening for ribbon to fit through! I had to be very selective when choosing the beads. I have completed three "trial" bookmarks before I begin working on the order that my mom placed.

This was my first attempt. I used black and white beads and black sheer ribbon for this one. I really, really like how it turned out.

This was my second try. I like the soft beading on this one. The white ribbon has polka dot detailing that helps it "pop" and adds character. It's very feminine and springy.

This was my third attempt. It's a little more "young" than the other two and is super cute as well.

What have I learned?



Sheer ribbon works best.

Although I like the looks of the other two a lot, the sheer ribbon is easier to work with... and it fits in the tiny holes a little bit better than the others.

So... I think these are a super neat idea, and I look forward to completing the order I've received; however, I don't think I will find myself addicted to these like I am to my other crafting venues, but stay tuned! You just may be surprised to find more in my Etsy shop soon!