Hi There

Hi. 

I took an unintended break from the blogging/crafty/social media world just after the new year but I'm back. Our whole family has been taking turns being sick since the last week of December. This week three of us are fighting bronchitis and Gus is cutting four teeth. I am completely over being sick. And winter. And not getting proper sleep. 

Despite the illness and fatigue it's still been a pretty good start to 2016. We are spending more time with family, the children are seeing the fruits of their musical labors, and the birds have slowly returned. Spring is so close! I love Spring and am so exited to see the world come alive again. 

I've been following along with Carson Riutta on her IG feed during the month of February in a Craft Room Rehab. I've taken a lot of organization classes, search high and low on Pinterest for ideas, and read lots of books on different methods. While they've all been great in helping me get my thoughts and ideas flowing, Carson's daily tips have been so easy to follow through. Just one thing a day, for a whole month, is totally doable, right?! Right... however, I'm still on day 16. But I'll get there. It's so nice to clean out some space and send supplies to people who will give them new life. Give it a shot. It feels so good :)

Since my desk and shelves have been refreshed I've had the itch to create again. 

I've been making at least one project a week and hope to increase that to two or three a week. I'm learning to let go of the self-imposed rules of deadlines and have-to's and just create for the sake of creating. Sometimes I get caught up in those negative feelings that come up when I feel behind, or not very creative. I took a break from memory keeping to re-evaluate why I do this. Do I do this because it's fun? For all the pretty things? To make sure I get my money's worth? Or is it because I love looking back at my photo's and stories and remembering those fleeting moments? I want to create with purpose and with feeling. I want to be creative and feel the joy that flows when I flex those muscles. I want those muscles to be strong and I want memories that will last for centuries. That is my focus and the end goal of memory keeping.

It's been a slow climb but I am starting to feel the joy and excitement I felt when I first began. And that's pretty cool. Here's a layout I made this week using the January Scrapbook Kit and add-on from Studio Calico.

Can ya tell I'm ready for Spring? 

I was kind of stressed about making this layout, even though it was just for fun, and I had to keep telling myself to relax and enjoy the process. By the time it was half finished I was starting to enjoy making again. I was so excited when I finished! I hope you enjoy it.

Pink Paislee Cedar Lane

I went to a craft retreat a couple of weeks ago and it was heaven! Two days of crafting, eating, and laughing was a blast, but seriously not long enough. I only brought a few projects to work on because I wanted to relax and enjoy the company as well as have some creative time. It was the perfect combination and I'm already looking forward to the next one! 

I grabbed the Pink Paislee Cedar Lane collection from my LSS before leaving. I just love the fall palette mixed with the blue and violet shades. 

Journaling: I love seeing pumpkins line the porch steps, with crunchy leaves swirling all around. And it's still warm enough to walk barefoot. <3 

I have a couple more to share soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Lately

 It has been quiet in our cozy corner. The kids don't have many commitments to attend so our nights are filled mostly with home activities. Here's what we've been up to:

 McCord gave me a book for Christmas last year about beginning Christ-centered traditions during the holidays. He and Madelyn went on a date for new boots and brought back a surprise for me. We had fun opening the nativity and setting it up during breakfast the next morning. I'm excited about using it to start more meaningful traditions this year. 

An out-of-focus photo sums up how last weekend felt. Gus has been very close to me at all times lately.

Carrot gone wild from my mom's garden. 

We had breakfast with Harrison at school to celebrate the book fair. The maple bars were surprisingly delicious! 

These three love bubble baths made with Lush Cosmetics play dough. 

We've also been making leaf crafts, visiting the dentists, and setting up the hot cocoa bar. 

I'm trying to soak up this quiet moments before the holiday whirlwind hits. 

Introductions

Hello everyone! I'm so happy you're here. My name is Olivia. I'm a wife and mother to three wonderful children, creator and recorder of memories. This is my family.

We live a relatively quiet and simple country life.

I want to share my intentions for this blog and business with you. I'll be sharing posts about Kids Confetti Mail, crafty projects, what we do around here, and the occasional recipe. As I said above, I love crafting and telling our story. My children often join me in my crafty adventures so I decided to make something especially for them. We love making handmade cards and sharing them with those around us. Harrison often shares his cards with friends at school, teachers, and loved ones. They are always digging through my craft supplies so I finally set aside supplies just for them.

Children love to create and share with others, but sometimes finding the time and supplies can be frustrating. So I've simplified to process. I gather ideas and supplies to put into a kit specially for your child's card making and paper crafting needs. It's simple and quick to make. It facilitates sharing kindness, thinking of others, improving literacy and writing skills, and fueling the creative drive.

I love seeing children learn and grow; seeing the curiosity bubble up while they discover new adventures. I want to share that with you and your family. I want to encourage you to spend a few minutes and create with your child. In encouraging you, I also give myself the challenge to set aside the busyness and just create. Let's create and share together.

So now I'd like to know about you! What do you like to do? Are you creative in baking, sewing, knitting, woodworking, paper crafting, writing, drawing, painting, etc? Share with us in the comments below.