My photo project for 2016 - January

For the last few years I have joined in with Jodi and her 52 Project but last year I didn't complete it as I found a weekly photo of each of the boys too hard to keep up with.

So since I love the idea of a photo project to help document the year and the changes in the boys I am committing myself to a monthly photo of the 3 together.  

I have also made a resolution this year to be in more photos with the boys rather than always behind the camera so I will be including these photos too. (I've started a little hashtag on Instagram #jumpinthephotomum for any other mums that want to join in with this as I feel like a lot of the times the mums are always the ones taking the photos)  And if I can I will also include a family photo.

Here are my photos for January 2016 - 

We found a little LOVE booth in one of the alley ways in Byron so we decided to jump in and take some photos!

Are you doing any photo projects this year?

Mother's Day Gift DIY - family photo blocks + inspirational quote cards

With only a couple of weeks until Mother's Day the time has come to start thinking of a wonderful gift for mum!  I've teamed up with Officeworks to bring you 2 fantastic DIY Mother's Day gift ideas using the Kodak Picture Kiosk available in all Officeworks stores.

I loved the idea of creating something personal to go along with the usual chocolates and flowers. Mum is always asking for photos of the boys so I thought this would be the perfect gift for her.

I loved how they turned out so much I'm also going to do some for my mother in law.

These DIY ideas were created by Katrina and I've put my own spin on it to suit my mum and her home. I've followed Katrina's steps and shown you my process below -

What you’ll need:

Photos – pop  photos on a USB stick or you can print pictures straight from your phone using the easy Kodak Picture Kiosks in store. 

Pull up a seat, use the touch screens and within minutes you’ll have your photos.  

I needed 8 photos so it cost me less than $6.40 to have these printed up.

I wanted quite a large size and chose the 6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm)

I chose the square shape as it suited most of my photos thanks to my Instagram addiction!

Blocks of wood – I went to my local hardware store and bought a 32mm thick piece of MDF offcut for $5.00 and asked them to cut it into 8 x 18cm x 18cm blocks. The cutting cost me $10.00.

It was too easy, I didn't have to pick up a tool!

Paint - we had loads of white paint left over from the renovations so I used this.

I painted the blocks of wood white so the colours of the photo would pop.

Decoupage glue - I also had some of this in my craft cupboard (Mod Podge)

Step 1.

I painted my wooden blocks. I gave them 2 coats each.

Step 2

Once the paint on the blocks are dry, paint on a layer of decoupage glue and position your photo in the centre of the block.  The reason I have used this product is because it dries clear and is an all-in-one glue, sealer and finish.

The glue goes on white but dries clear and adds a lovely gloss finish and extra texture to your photo.

Step 3

Let the photos dry for a few hours. Then use the glue again to coat the entire block all over.

I'm so happy with how they turned out.
I love the size and sturdiness of the block, such a great way to display your memories.
They were really quick and simple but I love that they have that personalised touch.

Although if you don't have the time it’s worth noting that alongside photo printing, the Kodak range at Officeworks has a wide selection of personalised items which make perfect gifts, including coffee mugs, calendars and photo canvases.

The next DIY I decided upon was Katrina's inspirational quote cards

My mum loves affirmations and quotes and often texts me one each morning.
So this combination was perfect for her.

All you need to make this Mother's Day gift is your photos, a business card holder and some printed text. It's simple and cost less than $10 to create!

Again I went with the larger size photo (15cm x 15cm) printed from the Kodak Picture Kiosk

What you'll need

Photos - pop them on a USB stick or print straight from your phone. Print them from the Kodak Picture Kiosks in store. Within minutes you'll have our photos.

Scissors

Card stock

Glue - a regular glue stick is fine

Business card display holder 
As my photos were bigger than Katrina's I used a photo frame stand instead.

That's one of the things I love about Officeworks. It has everything you need under the one roof.
You can get everything for these projects here - photos, stationery, etc.

Step 1
I gathered some of my favourite quotes and printed them out on card stock.
I printed them out on my printer at home but if you don't have a printer, pop them on a USB stick and have them printed out at Officeworks while you get your photos printed.

Step 2
Trim your quotes and stick the card stock to the back of your photos

Once you have glued the photo and the quote together, pop them under a few heavy books to ensure they stick together and stay flat while they dry.

Step 3
Pop them on your stand or in your business card holder. They make the perfect addition to the coffee table and you can create a lovely vignette with them.

Now mum can pick out a quote each morning and change the photos around as it suits her.

I know most mum's and grandmothers love a gift with a personal touch and I think this project is great as you can change the quotes to suit the person.

I used recent photos as mum had been asking for new photos of the boys but I loved Katrina's idea of using old photos and bringing back some amazing memories.

It's so good to get all of those photos I take off my phone and on display.
My next project is Photo Books but I'm a few years behind so I've got some work ahead!

What do you think?
Are you tempted to make some for Mother's Day gifts?

I really love how these projects turned out and I will be keeping these up my sleeve for gifts in the future too.

Have you printed out some photos lately or are they all still on your phone and laptop?!

The 52 Project - 2014

This year I have decided to join Jodi in The 52 Project.
The boys are growing so fast and I would love to track their growth and changes during 2014.
It's a big commitment but I am willing to give it a go. Some weeks it may just be a photo of one of the boys, 2 or maybe a group photo. We'll see how it goes!
1/52 "a portrait of my sons, once a week, every week, in 2014"

Noah - loving water play + almost too big for the bucket

Jasper - Proving you're never too old to don a cape + try to fly

Finn - enjoying a little bit of quiet on the holidays. 

  Our boys  Hanging out in the backyard during the school holidays with Dash our dog.
Anyone else joining in this year?

52/52 - the finale of 2014

A portrait of my sons once a week, every week, in 2014

Wow I made it to the end of the year. At times I didn't think I would as some weeks it was hard to take a photo in the rush of day to day life. But I came to the conclusion that just a quick iPhone photo was enough to capture a moment. I didn't have to pull out the "real" camera and make an occasion of it.

This project was fantastic for me. 

It really helped me see how much the boys have grown throughout the year and how their tastes have changed and how the special moments were celebrated.  I plan on putting all the photos together in a photo book. Portraits of my sons in 2014. I will definitely be doing it again in 2015.

Noah - my baby is now a big boy. Keeping up with the older boys and this week you were toilet trained. We started it four days ago and you were brilliant. We all have made a fuss of you and given you high fives when you go to the toilet. We even ventured out to the shops sans nappy.

 So proud of you and all you have achieved this year.

Jasper - dressed in his favourite shirt. He picked this out to go to the shops, he had his hair gelled and his "phone" (iPod) in this pocket. So grown up. So confident. We love you and are so proud of you.

Finn - loving life and the holidays. Playing with the younger boys and teaching them all different things. They are growing and learning because of you too. Such a great big brother.

 We love you and are so proud of you.

DIY Marble Macbook

I popped a photo on Instagram this morning and got so many enquiries on how I made my "Marble" Macbook.
I had seen a DIY on Pinterest and it looked so simple and stylish I thought I would give it a try. It's a fun little project that adds a little something to my boring laptop. I'm not sure how long it will be before the edges peel off but we will see how we go!
I found the DIY instructions on Designlykke Here they are -

Hey guys! Thank you all for the respond on my Mac. Means a lot to see that it appealed to so many around the world. I’ll try and guide you through how I did it.  First and foremost you need marble contact paper. This you can buy in a local hobby shop, on the internet or maybe on Ebay?

Cut this to around the same size as your Mac. I’ve used a utility knife to draw it up, then cut out. Remove the foil and add it slowly and carefully on the Mac (please be careful about air bubbles) Once you’ve got the foil on, remove it with the utility knife. Important, knife has to be sharp.

The Apple logo will show through the foil, but if you want to do as I have done, you can lift up the screen so the light will come through, then cut it out with the utility knife (but be careful, do not use excessive force, as you may damage the original logo)

Doesn't it look great?

**A couple of things I did differently from the original DIY** 

I picked my contact paper up from my local newsagent but I have heard you can find it at Bunnings or Officeworks.

When it came to the corners of the laptop, it was hard to round off the edges and make them stick evenly so I popped a couple of tiny slits in the paper to let out air bubbles and stick the contact down more firmly.

I didn't do the last step of cutting out the apple logo as I was worried about cutting it wonky or damaging my laptop. Once the laptop is open the light shines through the logo quite easily.

What do you think?

Do you decorate your laptop to make checking emails more fun? ;)

Original DIY instructions and DIY photos via Designlikke.com Top photo my own

Kids Bedrooms - updating Noah's nursery to a toddlers room.

This week I finally got around to updating Noah's room from a baby's nursery to a big boy's room.
I shared a photo on my social media and got a wonderful response so I thought I would share it here to also let you know where I purchased various bits n pieces.
Noah's room is only small and I had to work with the existing furniture so all updates were easy cosmetic ones.

A lot of the things used in Noah's room were things we already had. Hand me downs from Finn and Jasper. Of course a few new things crept in ;)
I love the simple white base (furniture, walls) with the pops of colour in the accessories. Easily changed in future years.
Products Used
Toddler Bed - from Target about 5 years ago (was originally Jasper's)
Black triangle Wall Decals - from Urban Walls. Originally purchased for Finn's room 18mths ago!
Hot Air Balloon - from Mini Style, previously in Noah's nursery
Linen & cushions - Cotton On Kids
Yay banner - Zana Products
Peace sign & stag head - Typo
Noah writing - Graphic Spaces
Felt ball garland  - Felt Foxes
Lightning bolt marquee light - Little Letter Lights Co (opening for orders in July but follow them on Instagram @littleletterlightsco
Bedside table - step stool from Ikea
Red trike -  2nd bday present - Toys R Us
Rug - Kmart
Tiger Print - Bimbily
Star Wars Print & Super Hero Prints - Down That Little Lane - originally in Jasper's room and handed down to Noah.
Faux cactus - Freedom
Lego Head - Kmart
Lamp base - Ada and Darcy. Lamp shade my own (originally from Freedom)
Record player - bought in Hawaii
Grow Up print - Etsy
House shadow box & black garland - Cotton On Kids
Expedit shelving & Branas baskets - Ikea
I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's simple and age appropriate and Noah loves it.
How about you? Updating any rooms lately? My next project is Jasper's room.  There is always something to do! If you want a peek at Noah's old nursery, you can see it here