Welcome to Westridge Academy!

It has been a long while since I updated my blog, but I thought that it was time to brush off the cobwebs. 

For those who are new here, I am Gabrielle, a first time homeschool mama to two. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Masters of Science in Educational Psychology. I work full time at an office manager for a local university. I have 3 children ages 11, 8, and 5 months. My husband and I have been married for 14 years, and we have a sweet, orange beagle called Maple.

Lennon and Mama at 2 months old.

 Now for the life update for all my other readers:

During the year of our Lord 2020, a new little person joined our family of four. Now, we are a Watson Party of Five. Little Lennon is just 5 months old. He knows nothing of the world around him except his immediate family and both Gavin’s and my families. He has rarely had interactions with our friends and certainly none with coworkers, PTA, baby classes or even some of our besties. It has been a weird 5 months in our life, and I am sure yours too. However, this is life in a pandemic, and I am grateful for being able to work from home, care for my family, and be alive when so many people are ill or dead.

We found out when Lennon was four months old, that I was still immunocompromised from pregnancy. My body has not fully healed itself from the trauma that is pregnancy and birth, so on one of my very few excursions out of the house, I picked up a minor virus. It began as a low-grade fever and within days I was begging for that low-grade fever and chills to return when I was running fevers ranging from 104—106.7 regularly. I wound up in the hospital with sepsis, tachycardia, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome for several days. While being treated, the doctors could not determine what caused my mystery illness. I was in the covid wing of the ER for over 24 hours while they tried to admit me to a nearby hospital (all local beds were full). Luckily, both of my covid tests came back negative, and I was transferred by ambulance to a hospital just minutes away. It took me another 2 weeks to recover from my ordeal. As a nursing mother, I am not sure if my milk supply has fully returned yet, but I hope so. Lennon does not seem to notice too much. That was a long story, but I am happy and healthy for the most part, BUT this was the leading reason is why we chose to homeschool this year.

I spent a total of 5 days in the hospital in June with sepsis.

 Also, I still scrapbook, and I still bargain shop. I rarely practice photography, but do it for friends and family when I can. I am also a freelance resume writer when folks need their resumes updated. Check out my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/watsonresumes

Disney tri-fold interactive scrapbook folio that I created in July 2020.

 So, this post is really about our reasons to homeschool:

I am immunocompromised, and we have an infant with a developing immune system.

Lennon at 4 months old.

There are some other reasons of course that we chose homeschooling for our family too, but those are not important. I am proud that we have successfully survived AND THRIVED through our first week of homeschool. I am here to tell you that it is doable, even if you work full time. Give yourself grace. Be flexible, and you do not need everything to start homeschooling. 

 

Our very first day of homeschool ever, July 27, 2020, all the kids enjoyed their first day.

In the next few posts, I will talk about our academic calendar, our method/curriculum, our homeschool space (aka dining room), our daily schedule, our reference materials, and keep updating you on our daily lives. 

You can also follow my journey on Instagram @fromwatsonwithlove – I post pretty much daily, and share a lot of stories.

Leave some love, if you enjoy posts like these or you are on a similar journey to ours. I would love to be part of a community of #newhomeschoolers.

Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this and other posts are affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I may make a small commission. I only link to items that are tried and true for our family. I will not link to items or services that I do not like. The commission I make, if any, is minuscule.

It's summer.

Finally! It was a long couple of semesters for graduate school for me. I was overwhelmed, stressed, lacking sleep, and lost on all things fun.

My blog completely fell to the wayside when it came time to read, re-read, research, research some more and start churning papers out. Not to mention, for half of the year, I was doing the job of three people in my office, so that was taking its toll as well.

Some days I would be on campus from 7:45 AM to 11:00 PM at night often later. I never saw my babies, and I never spent time with my husband.

It was a depressing time for me and my family.

That time has passed, for now at least.

Now that the torrential rains in North Texas and that F1 tornado that tore through the street behind ours have subsided, I am now in a happier state of mind. I'm spending time pondering what book I want to read next and what home improvement projects should I work on next? AND, I am catching up on movies, TV, scrapbooking and picking up my other favorite hobby, photography.

Currently, I am gearing up for my son's third birthday party this weekend; praying it doesn't rain. Next weekend is the Great American Scrapbook Convention in Arlington. I'm staying overnight with my mom, and Harper is tagging along for her first time at convention. I hope she enjoys it. I know it will be a long walk for her and she'll get tired, but I love scrapbook stuff, and I want her to love it too. Is that so bad? Then I'll be getting stuff ready for my annual summer scrapbook retreat at Memory Lane Inn in McKinney, Texas. I love, love, love Memory Lane Inn! It has been way too long since I slept in their comfy beds and scrapbooked to my heart's content in their beautiful scrap space. We are currently planning our trip to Walt Disney World in September, and that can't come soon enough either!! We are super thrilled about it.

All in all, I have high hopes for this summer.

To start the summer off in style, GG, the kids and I attended my niece's high school graduation ceremony in Austin. After the ceremony and a delicious meal at Russo's New York Pizzeria in Pflugerville, I took her senior portraits, which turned our stunning, IMO.

Senior 2015 - Jenna

 We spent the night at Embassy Suites Arboretum. For those of you who know me, this was the highlight of my year, lol. I absolutely love the happy/snack hour, made to order breakfast, the indoor swimming pool, the rooms with a suite, and the beautiful atriums. This is seriously my favorite hotel chain, and if I am lucky we get to stay in one about once every two years or so. The kids LOVE staying in this hotel, but what kid doesn't love that? We wrapped up the weekend with a trip to the Thinkery Children's Museum at Mueller Park in Austin. They had such a fabulous time.

Austin was a lot of fun, especially Thinkery children's museum.

Also, this week I finally finished editing pictures from my sister-in-law's spring wedding. It took place at Historic Village of Buffalo Gap near Abilene, Texas. There was nothing dreary about this charming, rustic wedding, despite the overcast and rain. I just love summer. I have so much time in the evenings to actually do FUN stuff, like edit photos!

Wedding 2015 - Miller

Wedding 2015 - Miller

Thanks for reading; look for more updates from our last year in my next post.

Secrets of a savvy scrapper. Part one.

Hi everyone!! It's been a long while since my last post around here. There's been much going on in the real world.

We started and finished our playroom remodel - before and after photos to come. The kids and I started school in late August. Sawyer is at daycare/preschool during the day; Harper is a kindergartener this year, and I am working on my third year as a Master's student. I'll be wrapping up that degree next year, probably around winter. I am and I am not looking forward to that.

In the meantime, Gavin and I started and finished another remodel - our hallway, so that will get its own little post with before and after pics, and now we are beginning our master bedroom remodel. We've started, but it's stalled currently due to the lack of hours/sunlight in the day. Also my school is really kicking into gear with reading assignments, papers due each week, a presentation in a few weeks, and now I'm working on a big class project to develop a poverty simulation game. Eek! Luckily, I love being in school, so it is fun and stressful all at the same time.

For today, I'm sharing a post that I wrote for the Memory Lane Inn blog. Be sure to check them out if you haven't already. I love, love staying at their retreats. I'm looking at the calendar now and thinking about booking for a weekend retreat in December, if I can find some extra time. I'll really need the break from both work and school.

A few months ago I shared a post about how I plan, prep, and pack for a retreat or crop, over at Memory Lane Inn and on my personal blog, I've often talked about how I save money by building my own scrapbook kits and of course, couponing (I'm kind of an amateur coupon queen, or at least I like to think so...).

As of late, my stash is getting pretty thin, and it's probably time to buy some new paper, thickers, washi tape, embellishments and maybe even some scrappy tools. I'm not a scrapbook supply hoarder by any means.  Scrappers that know me on a personal level, know that I get rid of stuff pretty frequently.  When my scrap space feels cluttered I get creative constipation. Seriously. I just said that. I can't get the creativity out.

Believe me, I want to make stuff, and I feel inspired when I look at other people's wonderful work online, but when I'm in a creative rut; it's really hard to get out of it. So I purge and build kits with whatever is leftover, so I can scrapbook easily on the go.  I LOVE to crop. Invite me, and I'll totally be there. I haven't cropped with my girlfriends in a while, and well I'm feeling it. Creative constipation.

Now onto the good stuff. I have a few secrets to share, so this is going to be the first in a series of blogs about shopping for scrapbook supplies. In today's post, I'm going to talk about scrapbook deal a day sites.

These are the sites that I have the most experience with. I've ordered from them, sometimes even spoken to their customer service staff, and over the years, I feel that I've saved money by ordering supplies with them.

1. Crafty Steals

Crafty Steals has been around for a few years. I first stumbled upon them and of course, placed my first of several orders around 2010. Over the years their website has received a facelift, and they've incorporated some other features like a blog and a basics line. They offer a multitude of products such as paper, embellishments, twine, tapes, and tools. Some of the brands they are carry include: American Crafts, October Afternoon, Echo Park, Theresa Collins, and Heidi Swapp, among others. Shipping is flat rate at $5.00.
SECRET: Crafty Steals has their own line of inexpensive products including twine, washi tape, stationary and party decorations. They also give you the option to shop their "past steals" that did not sell out. Additionally, they have a sister site: Simply Steals, another deal a day website that offers home decor, women's fashion and accessories.

2. Peachy Cheap

Peachy Cheap is another online outlet that sells one scrapbook product per day. I found out about them in 2010, and they too recently got a facelift. While they don't offer a blog, they are involved in social media with Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest accounts. Some of the lines they carry are Little Yellow Bicycle, American Crafts (but who doesn't really?), Hazel and Ruby, My Minds Eye, and October Afternoon as well as a host of others. Shipping is a flat $3.99. A steal in my mind. Did I mention that their prices are up to 95% off. Now that is crazy cheap!
SECRET: A Side of Peaches is their sister site. On it you can find VERY inexpensive women's accessories like scarves and jewelry.

3. Pick Your Plum

Now what's with all the fruit?! Pick Your Plum has been a staple of mine since 2012, when I first stumbled upon them on Facebook. Now they don't ALWAYS have scrapbook items per se, but they have a ton of flippin' cute stuff. In addition to fun stationary and home decor (cheap and perfect for scrapbook rooms), they also sell a number of other items per day including women's fashion, children's accessories, and lots of other stuff. It's kind of like a smaller version of Zulily.
SECRET: Pick Your Plum tells you when stock is running low, just pay attention to how many plums are listed in the product information. Also, flat rate shipping is $4.99. Woot!

4. Blitsy

Honestly, I'm only a little familiar with this site. My mom has actually ordered from them more times than I have, so she is the expert. Despite that, I like Blitsy because they offer several steals for a couple days if not more. They are just like Zulily except they offer only craft, scrapbook and other hobby types of products. I've seen a wide range of brands and tools offered up at Blitsy. I'm on the email list, so of course I see it all, all the time. I think the last thing we ordered from them was adhesive pens. They were great and came in a pack, so I still have some that I use even though my order was several months back.
SECRET: Blitsy's sales last an average of 4 days. They sell products for every kind of crafter and artist from paints to organizers, from yarn to duck tape, seriously A LOT of stuff. They also sell craft machines, like the Cricut die cutting machine and cartridges.

5. Scrapbook Steals

Scrapbook Steals is part of the Steals Network. First there was Baby Steals, then there was Kids Steals, and so on and so forth. I've purchased from all of the Steal Network sites except She Steals, but mostly because I've never seen anything that I wanted or needed to buy.  BUT, I have purchased a lot of things from Baby and Kid Steals such as cute shoes for my kiddos, a sweet necklace as a gift to a friend, and tons of other items.  I've also purchased scrappy items including paper and embellishment packs. Brands found at Scrapbook Steals include American Crafts, Little B, Bo Bunny, We R Memory Keepers, Echo Park, My Mind's Eye, Carta Bella, Studio Calico, Xyron,  Tim Holtz and several others.
SECRET: They have a wonderful blog with super talented group of designers to steal inspiration from. Also they have a whole network of Archived Steals.  They have an archive available on each of their steals sites. So go ahead and get that deal or what they refer to as a steal! Oh I almost forgot, shipping rates depend on the item purchased and how fast you want to get it. One item priced at $2.99, shipping was $3.85.

6. Flowers to Flourishes

Now this site has been around a while. I know this because I've been checking out their steals and purchasing since about 2009.  Their style has never changed although I have a theory that if an item doesn't sell out, then they leave it up for a few days until it's gone. Don't quote me on that... I've purchased flowers and collection packs through them, but I've noticed that they carry a lot of Spellbinders dies and Tim Holtz stamps. Those are the times that I've seen featured on the site lately.
SECRET: Nothing special, but this site often sells items that you can find in stores, just a lot cheaper.

Well those are all the secrets that I have to share for one evening. Thanks for reading, and be on the look out in a couple of weeks for another post in this blog series. I'll be talking about local scrapbook supply stores and shops. Now get to scrapping or buying... or BOTH!!

B.Y.O.K.

You might be asking yourself what B.Y.O.K stands for... and I have an answer for that: Build Your Own Kit! Why, yes! Now doesn't that sound like fun?

I love building scrapbook kits out of my stash. There are so many kits out there that inspire me. The kits that I create I take with me to crops (scrapbooking with others), retreats (again, scrapbooking with others, but overnight), or just plain scrapbooking at home. I know of some scrappers that build mini-kits and take them on the road even like Dear Lizzy. For me, having a kit on hand truly makes scrapbooking a bit more seamless and less stressful, especially if you feel overwhelmed by a large stash.

Like you, I have a tight scrapbook budget. Currently, I allow myself one kit subscription per month.  This helps to maintain my supply of papers and products. When my stash feels unmanageable or I'm not using up the kits that I purchase, then I cancel my sub for a time. Right now, I am subbing to Studio Calico. In the past, I've subscribed to Citrus Twist Kits, Scraptastic Club, and Gossamer Blue.

Now more about how to B.Y.O.K or build your own kit.

When I build kits, I follow a simple recipe. First I begin with an inspiration kit. This month I chose Gossamer Blue's May Main Kit. I was most attracted to the bright card stock and floral print.

I generally stick to four solid cardstock (including a neutral like white, kraft or black), eight pattern papers (including both large and small patterns),  large and small alphas, a stamp set, and embellishments (basically whatever floats my boat: doilies, stickers, sequins, buttons, brads, enamel dots).

Normally, I would start by finding a pattern paper that anchors the whole line, like the bright floral of the inspiration kit. For this kit though, I actually began with the card stock. I really loved the idea of combining teal and fuchsia, but I thought their brightness in the inspiration kit competed with each other; additionally, I didn't love the orange paper chosen for this kit. I know why it was chosen, but it really doesn't compliment the fuschia or the teal to me. For my kit, I chose a bright, chipper yellow to compliment my a lighter teal (which is more like an aqua) and bright purple based fuchsia (I actually couldn't believe that I had this purple/pink color. It's so unlike me.)

Cardstock (Bazzill, Cor'dinations)

Now that I have chosen the perfect color of cardstock, it is time to find a floral print that contains all of these colors. It was a process at first, but I settled on a beautiful print with a brown base and lots of color. Isn't it just lovely? Next, I began by looking for a strong stripe. I found a teal in a strong horizontal. A yellow gingham paper was a perfect too as well as a soft grey stripe. Next up, I wanted another paper that pulled some of the pink out without being overwhelming. Rather than choose a white based paper with a pattern like the pennant paper in the inspiration kit, I chose to go with this fun constellation paper. A neutral small print to replace the cream grid paper was next; I found this swell light taupe polka dot. Lastly, I needed something else to jazz it up and make it modern. I was looking for something white and black like the strong horizontal in the inspiration kit. I found this soft, yet masculine black and white chevron print and also these fun mopeds with a neutral base. Normally, I wouldn't add a competing patter against this strong floral, but I thought these were cute and they had all the colors to compliment the cardstock as well as the floral print, and ta-da. It comes together so nicely.

Cardstock (Bazill), Pattern Paper (My Minds Eye, Dear Lizzy, Amy Tangerine)

Stamps were next on my list because I often forget them. I wanted to make sure that I chose them before my embellishments. You see, I'm not really a stamper (or mister). I try, but it always feels so far out of my comfort zone, kind of like sewing on paper. I love how it looks, but it's been tough for me to master. Still a total beginner, but I digress.

Stamp (Amy Tangerine, Citrus Twist Kits)

When it comes to embellishments, I start by perusing through 'kit' leftovers. These are pieces from past kits that were never opened or I didn't use up all the pieces. For this kit, I found some glitter sentiments, die-cut frames, funky (boyish) stickers, a fun rub-on, small floral buttons, and other odds and ends that I had in my stash basket. And we can't forget about alphas. I am seriously obsessed with Thickers, and I have been since I bought my first pack (even paid full price) at Hobby Lobby in 2009.

Stickers (Heidi Swapp, My Minds Eye, Simple Stories), Tags (Chic Tags),
Die-Cut (Scraptastic Club), Rub-On (Jenni Bowlin), Washi Tape (Sticker Stop),
Brads (American Crafts), Poms (Basic Grey), Thickers (Amy Tangerine),
Doilies, Buttons (Melissa Frances), Label (Citrus Twist Kits)

And voila, I'm done.  Now some of you might like to include additional items in your kits, such as coordinating ink, mists, etc. I don't have very many of those, so I bring them ALL to each and every crop. They store very nicely in my little rolling tote along with my kits, so I can pick what I need in the moment. If you have too many to schlep around, then I recommend picking out a couple of inks and a mist to include in your kit for when you go to crops and retreats, that way you don't have to lug everything and the kitchen sink.

I transport my B.Y.O.Ks in lovely 2 gallon ziploc bags. Available at
Walmart; I purchased mine through a seller on Etsy for a steal.

So that is that. I create kits to use up my stash, streamline my scrapbook process, and to bring to crops and retreats. I have a lot of fun doing it. It is a very artistic and therapeutic process for me.

In other news, I was recently asked to guest blog over at the brand spankin' new Memory Lane Inn Blog. It was such an honor to be asked, so of course I jumped right on it. It was a fun experience, and I plan to share next week about how I plan, prep, and pack for an overnight retreat. They are looking for a few good bloggers, especially former/current retreat guests. Email me if you would like more details about blogging with Memory Lane Inn: tinyscrapper at yahoo dot com.

Tell me do you sub to kits? Which ones? Or do you B.Y.O.K.? Or a little of both, like me? I'd love to know. Tell me about your process; what works best for you?

This is where I get scrap happy.

Scrapbook room, scrap room, craft room, creative space, crop spot.

Call it what you will, but I am LOVING my updated scrap room.  Thing is, my scrapbook room is always a work in progress.  I freely admit that I have more fun organizing and rearranging my creative space than actually playing in it. Silly I know, but I like organizing. I also love scrapbook stuff, so it marries two of my passions.

My scrapbook room is a place where I go to unwind and get crafty. I have nine finished scrapbooks, and I am always working on new layouts.

So this is my scrap space. I have a dresser that houses tools, extra storage, fabric, washi tape, tags and extra adhesive. It also holds my Canon Selphy and Silhouette Cameo as well as a knock off Clip it Up from Hobby Lobby. My Ikea Expedit 4x4 bookshelf keeps cardstock and pattern paper on display with Display Dynamics ; punches, ribbon, stamps, and embellishments organized in locker baskets; scrapbook kits, finished albums, magazines, inspiration books, and other stuff. I keep a number of chick flicks on hand to watch on my new (to me) TV - would you believe I only spent $40 on this flat-panel Westinghouse? A steal, I know! I also keep all my photos organized in Iris Photo Keepers on the three-tiered wired shelf. That is also where I keep my sewing machine and Cuttlebug. 

This is what you see when you first step into my house.

In my updated room, I have a small sitting area.

I like to organize my Thickers by color. I keep kit leftovers on this 3-tiered plate stand.

A very full Ikea Expedit. The new system is called Kallax. My favorite craft movies, 

and who doesn't love to zone out with some Super Mario Bros. now and again?

A closer peak, the bottom shelf has locker baskets with ribbon, punches, stamps
and embellishments.

Old magazines. I hate that everything is digital now, but I'd hate for them to

go away entirely, so I'll take what I can get and won't throw a fit.

Buttons in a colander, crepe streamers in vintage Pyrex, and 6x6 pads, handmade
cards and other stuff from my travels and experiences to be scrapbooked
are housed in this vintage card organizer.

I finally invested in a tool carousel, and I keep brads in this little vintage Pyrex bowl.

This small drawer holds used Thickers without the packaging, and I keep

scrapbook kits that I've purchased or designed myself in this rubbermaid tote.

To keep clutter at bay, I put large kit leftovers in this yellow basket as well as my

most used and loved tools, scissors, pens, pencils and my handy stapler.

 On either side of the dresser, I have Iris Storage. The right set houses the kids

scrapbook and craft stuff. The one of the left holds Christmas/Holiday and Disney
kits as well as large format pictures and recently finished scrap layouts.

I keep extra tools in the dresser, like paper trimmers, a big bite, and

xyron sticker makers. 

I keep inks, mists, washi tape, tags, twine, and various adhesives in
these blue baskets (4 for $1 @ Dollar Tree).

Here you'll see all the fabric, that I don't know how to sew. Owning a sewing

machine does not mean I know how to use it.

Last but not least, what I am currently working on. Such a sweetie this little guy.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my scrapbook room. Like I said, it is definitely a work in progress. Some of the things I would like to update include the lighting in this space as well as the paint on the walls, ceiling, and trim. I prefer neutrals, and well the whole atmosphere can be rather yellow in this room, making it hard to color match at night when I find the most time for my hobby.

As you can see, I also like to collect colorful vintage here and there (flea markets are my fave), so it is nice to be able to show off those pieces on a blank canvas.  And just if you're curious, there was a lot of art on display in this room. I am IN LOVE with Ping Irvin. She often comes to the Arts and Jazz Festival in Denton, and this is where my husband and I buy her prints. Her original art is AMAZING, beautiful, and it really speaks to me. It is just so unique, and I love her color palettes and beautiful imagery. Each year my husband and I buy a new fine art print from her. 

Have a great night folks, I hope that this little peek into my scrapbook world has inspired you to get to crafting or maybe even organizing! It's so much fun!

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