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Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

Scrapbook Layout | Italia- Life is Beautiful.

First and MOST importantly…thank you so much for your compassion regarding the last post I wrote. Thank you so so very much. I am floored and humbled by the response.

And yes- you did read the title of this blog post correctly. I actually have a scrapbook layout to share today. Say WHAT?

I finally received my Canon Selphy CP900. And I can tell you that I’m 100 percent in LOVE. It’s so compact and EASY.

I printed out four photos in a few seconds, and knew I just had to make something.

And that’s when I froze. Really. How sad is that? I had great photos, fun MME products from this summer (I hadn’t had a chance to play with them yet) and a cute Freckled Fawn embellishment kit I’ve been itching to use.

I sat there staring at everything for a while and then I thought to hell with it. Why am I overthinking this? It’s not rocket science. This isn’t for a team or an assignment. It’s just for the heck of it. As it should be.

I just made something. And you know what? It felt good. It felt good to get out of my head for a little bit and just play. It felt SO good to make something again. It was interesting how profoundly (and quickly) it changed my mood!

paper– my mind’s eye, geotag clip, enamel dot, brad, flower, veneer frame,doilies,arrow clip– freckled fawn, project life card- studio calico, stickers, enamel geotag–mme, gold glitter tape-american crafts,

I pretty much just did a typical Stephanie “cluster/doily” type layout. Funny how quick it came back to me, ha!

I love the little embellishments from Freckled Fawn, they were so fun to work with and worked nicely with my MME stash.

I cut triangles from some of my gold glitter tape and scattered them around on the patterned paper, adding a little bit of sparkle.

I can’t wait to print some more photos this weekend and do some more layouts and hopefully even get back in the saddle RE: Project Life.

I guess it turns out I did miss scrapbooking? 🙂
That makes me happy. And relieved.

xoxo

S

Fall in Italy and Other Randomness

Fall is really weird here. First of all, it doesn’t “look” like fall at all. I’m dying to spend some time in Tuscany (we are hoping to head there in early November) and maybe experience fall colors.

There are no pumpkin patches at all or pumpkins readily available in any Italian stores. I scored the group above at our commissary (10 cents a pound!).

I think we will try some Pinterest ideas on the smaller ones and the four larger ones are for pumpkin carving.

I’ve tried to get out my fall decor and make little vignettes around the house…but I don’t have a mantel this year and that’s weird, too! 🙂 I miss my American autumns a little bit.

Hmm. What else. We had our third Italian hospital experience yesterday. Harper accidentally ingested pine nuts. It was pretty terrifying. I’m hoping that that was our bad luck coming in threes (first time H hurt her wrist, 2nd time was Cate’s asthma attack) and that we are DONE!

This shutdown is TICKING ME OFF. Not for me. We are getting paid. For now. I’m ticked off because I’m over selfish politicans. I’m tired of their grandstanding and narcissism. I’m tired of all of them. Both parties.

I’m sad for my friends that are sitting at home and not working. I’m sad for the state of our country. I’m even sad about little things. Like the fact that our deployed troops can’t watch football because AFN is shut down.

I’m sad, I’m disappointed, I’m revolted, and I’m MAD.

Deep breath.

Moving on.

I’m here. Just fighting the blues. It’s raining nonstop and there’s not even a hint of sunshine. And the forecast shows much of the same for the next week.

Weather totally changes my mood. Does it change yours?

Okay, this might officially be my most random post of all time.

ciao-

xoxo

S

Downtown Vicenza (Centro)

I have posted a lot about our travels, but the truth is we live in a pretty amazing town. There is so much for us to do right outside of our front door.

We live in downtown Vicenza (centro) in an apartment. Now, some people think this is nuts. Here most families choose to live farther out in smaller towns.

But we wanted to be right in the middle of all the action. So downtown it is. The apartment life is different, but we wanted different.

The best thing about living here is that we can walk to bakeries, restaurants, bars, florists, bread and cheese shops, bookstores, boutiques, gelato shops…I could go on and on.

We are just blocks away from Piazza dei Signori which means street performers,restaurants, statues, pigeons, amazing architecture,markets, festivals, and sitting under umbrellas drinking Spritz Aperol and Moscow Mules while the girls play.

It never ever ever gets old.

What does it sound like here? It sounds like cars zooming, bells ringing,ambulance sirens,music,and Italian conversation.

It smells like bread and flowers and smoke.

There are nuns and tourists and people who are madly in love and simply cannot keep their hands off of eachother. There are children everywhere.

There are motorbikes and bicycles careening wildly, students studying the architecture, and mothers scolding.

There are churches everywhere. And gelateries. No one is ever really in a hurry,even though they drive like they are. There are conversations everywhere, I often get sucked into a dozen as I walk to the store.

Everything is old. It’s actually quite amazing.


Next door is a health club. They have cardio classes until like 10 at night. If I have my windows open I can hear the bass thumping and the instructor shouting

UN DUE TRE QUATTRO CINQUE…

Across the street is a conservatory. When my windows are open on that side of the apartment I can hear violins and other instruments.

You can walk from one side of town to the other. There are bridges and parks and so many statues.

One of our favorite things to do is walk to the piazza, have a drink, and then eat dinner at one of the restaurants.

After dinner we might eat some gelato while we listen to the accordian or violin players in the piazza.

What an adventure this is. Every day I get so excited to step out of my door and onto the street.

So who’s coming to visit?? 🙂
xoxo

S

slump.


source

See that third line? Fail? That’s where I am now. Trying hard to get to the point where I can cross it off my list and get back to creating, but for now I’m stuck.

I’m in Italy. Surrounded by the most beauty I’ve EVER been surrounded by. And yet…the creative urge is dead.

I love making things. Whether it’s layouts, project life, albums, Shutterfly photo books, home decor, etc. I love making things.

And I’m in this phase where I’m not making anything. Well, I’m making beautiful memories but I’m not literally making anything.

And in theory I really want to. I want to create with my hands again. I want to put pen to paper and glue to photos. I truly do.

So why am I stuck?

One problem is that I don’t have a photo printer. Mine got damaged in the move (like everything else) and not having the ability to print photos at home is really limiting me.

Ordering photos online takes a really long time.

Printer options are limited here, and amazon doesn’t ship electronics. So….I don’t print photos.

I tried PL and I got a week done, but it is impossible for me to not print from home for PL.

I miss traditional layouts. I do. Man…I used to do one a day. Now? Nothing. Nada. Niente.

Now and then I remember that I want to make something. So I wander in my (almost finished) craft room and then I get sidetracked.

I asked this question on my FB page and got some great responses. GREAT advice. So I thought I’d ask here too. Have you ever gotten stuck? Have you come back from the depths of I’m-not-making-anything or if it’s gone is it gone?

Is blogging and photographing my time here enough to sustain me creatively?

Would I want to create if I just spent some time in my craft room?

Have I broken up with creating or is this just a break?

I think I need a Selphy. And some me time. And some pretty scrap supplies.

Sigh.

Discuss.

xo

S